Gerhard Beutler

Fellowship
Hans Fischer Senior Fellow

Appointment
2007

Institution
University of Bern

Department
Astronomical Institute

Host
Reiner Rummel

Focus Group
Satellite Geodesy

Short CV

Gerhard Beutler received his Ph.D. degree in astronomy, physics and mathematics in 1976 from University of Bern and qualified as a professor (Habilitation) there in 1983. Beutler spent one year as a Research Associate at University of New Brunswick, Canada, before joining the University of Bern as Head of GPS Research Team. From 1991 to 2011 Beutler worked as a full professor and Director of the Astronomical Institute at University of Bern, where the “Bernese GPS Software” was developed. After more than twenty years in office, Gerhard Beutler became Professor emeritus.

In addition, since 2003 he is the President of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). Beutler is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and he was a member of ESA's Earth Science Advisory Committee (ESAC) and Space Science Advisory Committee (SSAC).


Selected Awards

  • 2006, Vening-Meinesz Medal, European Geophysical Union (EGU)
  • 2006, Honorary doctoral degree, Technische Unversität München

Research Interests

Celestial mechanics represents the core of Beutler’s research. With his work on orbit mechanics and on the rotational motion of deformable bodies he contributed fundamentally to celestial mechanics. His research in celestial mechanics laid the foundation for his important contributions to the development of the scientific use of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Beutler’s work on orbit determination and signal analysis of GPS satellites contributed significantly to the rapid development of GPS in Earth sciences. He was fundamental in the development of the “Bernese GPS Software”, which set an international standard for GPS data processing and is currently used by more than 200 groups worldwide.


Selected Publications

  • Beutler, G.; Jäggi, A.; Hugentobler, U.; Mervart, L.: Efficient satellite orbit modelling using pseudo-stochastic parameters. Journal of Geodesy 80 (7), 2006, 353-372.
  • Jäggi, A.; Hugentobler, U.; Beutler, G.: Pseudo-Stochastic Orbit Modeling Techniques for Low-Earth Orbiters. Journal of Geodesy 80 (1), 2006, 47-60.
  • Beutler, Gerhart: Methods of Celestial Mechanics. Springer-Verlag, 2005.
  • Beutler, G; Schildknecht, T; Hugentobler, U; Gurtner, W: Orbit determination in satellite geodesy. Advances in Space Research 31 (8), 2003, 1853-1868.
  • Earth Gravity Field from Space — From Sensors to Earth Sciences. Springer Netherlands, 2003.
  • Beutler, Gerhard: GPS satellite orbits. In: Teunissen, P. J. G.; Kleusberg, A. (Hrsg.): GPS for Geodesy. Springer Science + Business Media, 1998.
  • Beutler, Gerhard; Kouba, Jan; Springer, Tim: Combining the orbits of the IGS Analysis Centers. Bulletin Géodésique 69 (4), 1995, 200-222.
  • Beutler, G.; Brockmann, E.; Gurtner, W.; Hugentobler, U.; Mervart, L.; Rothacher, M.; Verdun, A.: Extended Orbit Modeling Techniques at the CODE Processing Center of the International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS): Theory and Initial Results. Manuscripta Geodaetica 19, 1994, 367 – 386.
  • Beutler, G.; Bauersima, I.; Gurtner, W.; Rothacher, M.; Schildknecht, T.; Mader, G. L.; Abell, M. D.: Evaluation of the 1984 Alaska Global Positioning System campaign with the Bernese GPS Software. J. Geophys. Res. 92 (B2), 1987, 1295.