IERS Conventions (1996).

Abstract

This document is intended to define the standard reference systems realized by the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) and the models and procedures used for this purpose. It is a continuation of the series of documents begun with the Project MERIT Standards (Melbourne et al., 1983) and continued with the IERS Standards (McCarthy, 1989; McCarthy, 1992) and IERS Conventions (McCarthy, 1996). The current issue of the IERS Conventions is called the IERS Conventions (2003). When referenced in recommendations and articles published in past years, this document may have been referred to as the IERS Conventions (2000). All of the products of the IERS may be considered to be consistent with the description in this document. If contributors to the IERS do not fully comply with these guidelines, they will carefully identify the exceptions. In these cases, the contributor provides an assessment of the elects of the departures from the conventions so that its results can be referred to the IERS Reference Systems. Contributors may use models equivalent to those specified herein. Products obtained with different observing methods have varying sensitivity to the adopted standards and reference systems, but no attempt has been made in this document to assess this sensitivity. The reference systems and procedures of the IERS are based on the resolutions of international scientific unions. The celestial system is based on IAU (International Astronomical Union) Resolution A4 (1991). It was officially initiated and named by IAU Resolution B2 (1997) and its definition was further refined by IAU Resolution B1 (2000). The terrestrial system is based on IUGG Resolution 2 (1991). The transformation between celestial and terrestrial systems is based on IAU Resolution B1 (2000).