Technical University of Crete

Laboratory of Geodesy & Geomatics Enigineering

Our aim is

• to undertake world-class research on satellite geodesy, remote sensing, and data analysis,
• address innovative applications,
• provide a high quality teaching and learning environment.

Geodesy Section

The Geodesy section specializes in high precision geodetic and satellite technology and applications, and is responsible for:

• educating and training of  students with the-state-of-the-art geodetic and surveying techniques and instrumentation, such as total geodetic stations, Global Positioning System (GPS) surveying, leveling, map projections, earth’s gravity field, coordinate reference frames, etc.,
• conducting research on :
• high precision satellite navigation and geodetic positioning
• establishment of  permanent GPS arrays (TUC1) station in the Technical University of Crete has been operated since 1996),
• Monitoring of the tectonic and geodynamic motion of the earth’s crust, etc.,
• Satellite altimetry,
• Sea level changes,
• Data quality control, etc.

This is a photograph of the Fakker aircraft that took part in the AirGOSAT project (Airborne Gravity field surveying for Oceanography, geodesy and geophysics in Southern Aegean sea and the island of Crete). The project co-ordinator was Prof. Ilias N. Tziavos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The Laboratory of Geodesy & Geomatics Engineering is an affiliate member of the University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO, USA) as of November 1996.

Geomatics Section

The Geomatics section of the laboratory deals with:

• Training of undergraduate and graduate students on the science of Remote Sensing, and Digital Image Analysis, and their application in environmental protection matters.
• Conducting research on:
• Statistical analysis and quality control of remote sensing and geodetic data.
• Development of a System for Oil Spill and Environmental Monitoring in the Eastern Mediterranean Using Remote Sensing and related Technologies.
• Development of a Remote Sensing System for wild and forest fires.
• Use of satellite and airborne sensors and images for environmental applications.
• Exploration and positioning of mineral resources, etc.
• Creation of databases using Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
• Map digitising and production of Digital Elevation Models (DEM) of the terrain.

Teaching

International scientific collaboration:

• National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Tsukuba, Japan for quality control of GPS data, evaluation of GPS height data, forecasting of sudden changes in the GPS signal, with applications in earthquake studies, weather prediction, etc.
• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Space Geodesy Branch, Washington, USA, for the establishment of permanent GPS arrays for monitoring tectonic motions of the earth’s surface, calibration of radar satellite altimeters, statistical data quality control, sea level studies,  climate changes, etc.
• University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia, for the quality control of the GPS measurements and the development of atmospheric and multipath error reduction algorithms in GPS signals.
• Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece for positioning and mapping of archeological sites employing satellites systems and images.
• Institute for Marine Biology, (IMBC), Heraklion, Crete, Greece for deploying scientific and oceanographic instruments in the sea with the aid of satellite positioning systems and for sea level studies.
• University of Calgary, Canada for the quality control of GPS measurements.

Personnel

Prof. Stelios Mertikas received a M.Sc.E. (1983) and a Ph.D. (1987) from the Department of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering in the University of New Brunswick, Canada. He has about 20-year experience with satellite precise positioning, navigation, quality control and remote sensing. He has been involved in research programs in North America and contributed to the development of satellite software programs in Canada, most of which are commercially available today. He has worked as a Lecturer and Professor at the University of New Brunswick and the University of Toronto, Canada, respectively. He was post-doctoral fellow at the University of Calgary, Canada in 1991 and also Honorary Visiting Fellow at the School of Geomatic Engineering of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia during his sabbatical in 1996. He was also a Japan Science and Technology fellow at the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, in Japan in 2000 for 3 months. He is now Professor at the Division of Exploration and Positioning at the Department of Mineral Resources Engineering of the Technical University of Crete.

Mr. Xen. Frantzis is an engineer with a Master’s degree from the Mineral Resources Engineering Dept. of the Technical University of Crete. He has been working on multipath effects of the GPS signal, the establishment of permanent GPS arrays and evaluation of marine pollution with satellite images. Mr. Theo Papadopoulos holds a B.Sc. in Physics with Environmental Science from the University of Sussex and a M.Sc. in Oceanography from the University of Southampton, UK. His interests are in sea level changes and satellite altimetry. Mr. Ach. Tripolitsiotis holds a Dipl. Eng. in Mineral Resources Engineering. Mrs. Chris Avramaki is a Geologist from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her interests are on the Geographic Information Systems and she has extensive experience from the Foundation for Research and Technology, Crete. Mrs. Lena Hatziordanou is also a Geologist from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Detailed information is available here.
 

Equipment

• 4 high standard geodetic GPS receivers.
• 2 GPS receivers for conventional applications.
• 1 hand held GPS receiver.
• 2 radio-communication units for the transmission of differential GPS corrections.
• 2 Total geodetic stations (EDM).
• 2 Levels
• A SUN Ultra-1 computer run on UNIX platform for the processing and archiving GPS data and satellite images.
• GPS Data processing software (Ashtech Office Suite, Geodyne, TEQC, etc.).
• GIS data and satellite image processing software (Ermapper, Arc Info).
• 5 personal computers (Pentium II & III).
• 2 scanners, 2 Laser printers, 1 color printer.
• Digital images from the following satellites: Landsat, Spot, KVR 1000, ERS1.

Recent publications:

• Mertikas, S, E. Pavlis, Th. Papadopoulos, X. Frantzis (2001). Preparatory Steps for the establishment of a European radar altimeter calibration and sea-level monitoring site for Jason, Envisat and Euro-GLOSS, International Association of Geodesy, 2001 Scientific Assembly, 2-7 September, Budapest.
• Topouzi, S., A. Sarris, Y. Pikoulas, S. Mertikas, X. Frantzis, A. Giourou (2001). Ancient Mantineia’s Defense Network Reconsidered through a GIS Approach, Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archeology 2001, Gotland, Sweden, 25-29 April, 2001.
• Topouzi, S., A. Tripolitsiotis, A. Sarris, S. Mertikas and S. Soetens (2001). Compatibility Issues in Repositioning of Archeological Sites, Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archeology 2001, Gotland, Sweden, 25-29 April, 2001.
• Pischl, W., S. Mertikas (2001). The Development of an Integrated System for the Management of Wild Forest Fires, accepted for publication in Earth Space Review.
• Mertikas S. P. (2001). Automatic and Online Detection of Small but Persistent Shifts in GPS Station Coordinates by Statistical Process Control, GPS Solutions, Vol. 5, No.1., pp 39-50.
• Mertikas S. P. and E. C. Pavlis (1999). A Sea-Level Monitoring and Altimeter Calibration Site in Eastern Mediterranean, presented at the Topex/Poseidon (NASA, CNES) Special Working Group, St Raphael, France, October 25-27, 1999 and at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall meeting at San Francisco, California, 13-17 December, 1999.
• Mertikas, S. P. (1999). “The development of a surveillance system for oil spills in the Greek seas using Remote Sensing”, Earth Space Review, Vol. 8, No.3, pp.9-18.
• Pavlis E. C.; S. Mertikas (1999). “Interdisciplinary applications of the GPS array “CRETE”, Presented at the Joint Symposium on Sea-Level Changes and Vertical Ground Movements at the 22nd General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, July 19-30, 1999, Birmingham, United Kingdom (Abstract & presentation only).
• Pavlis E. C.; S. Mertikas, F. Kouroumbali and P. Drakopoulos (1998). “Tectonics, sea-level monitoring and altimeter calibration with regional GPS array”, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Marine Positioning, INSMAP 98, Nov 30-Dec 4, 1998, Melbourne, Florida, USA, edited by G. Maul.
• Mertikas S. P. and M. Zervakis (1999). “Exemplifying the Theory of Evidence in Remote Sensing Images”, International Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 22, No.6, pp. 1081-1095.
• Mertikas, S. (2000). «Theory of Evidence in Remote Sensing Classification», Technika Chronika, Scientific Publication of TEE, Series I. Volume No.2, pp. 73-83.
• Mertikas, S. and S. Lahana (2000). «Methods for determining ambiguity resolution in pahse observations of GPS. Technika Chronika, Scientific Publication of TEE, Series I., Volume No.3.
• Mertikas, S. and E. Bartzos (2001). «Evaluation of ionospheric effects at the permanent GPS station of the Technical University of Crete. Technika Chronika, Scientific Publication of TEE, Series I., Volume No.1.
• Mertikas, S. (1999). «Remote Sensing and Digital Image Analysis», ION Publishing House, Athens. ISBN 960-405-949-1.
• Sarris, A., A. Vafeidis, S. Mertikas, M. Guy, and Th. Kalpaxis (1998). "Remote Sensing Techniques & Computer Applications for Monuments & Site Assessment of Itanos (Eastern Crete), 26th Computer Applications in Archaeology Conference (CAA 98), Barcelona, Spain, 25-28 March 1998.
• Sarris, A., A. Vafeidis, S. Mertikas, M. Guy, E. Vrontaki, M. Manakou, Th. Kalpaxis (1998). "Ancient Itanos (Erimoupolis, Lasithi): Creating an Archaeological Site to a Remote Sensing Laboratory", 31st International Symposium on Archaeometry (Archaeometry '98), Budapest, Hungary, April 27-May 1, 1998 (to be published in British Archeological Research International Series).

Director & Professor Stelios P. Mertikas
Laboratory of Geodesy & Geomatics Engineering
Division of Exploration & Positioning
Departments of Mineral Resources Engineering
Technical University of Crete
Politechnioupolis,
GR-73 100, Chania, Crete,
Greece.
Tel. 28210-37629, 37633, Fax: 28210-37872
Email:  mertikas@mred.tuc.gr