|
|
| Name |
Blewitt, Geoffrey |
| Location
|
University of Nevada, Reno |
| Primary Field
|
Geophysics |
|
|
 Research Interests
|
|
Dr. Blewitt’s research spans two vastly different scientific areas: one on geodesy and geophysics, the other on the search for dark matter and multi-messenger astrophysics. In the first scientific area, topics of interest include improving satellite geodetic techniques such as high precision GPS, global reference frames, and the application of satellite geodesy to geophysics including plate tectonics, earthquake cycle, surface mass loading, glacial isostatic adjustment, sea-level change, and atmospheric science. A recurring theme in his analysis of GPS network displacements is the use of robust statistics. In the second scientific area, Dr. Blewitt uses atomic clock data of the GPS satellites to search for new exotic physics, including galactic dark matter and low-mass fields emanating from black hole merger events. Both areas of research require exquisite modeling and parameter estimation techniques of processes affecting to the GPS carrier phase observable, including celestial mechanics of the GPS satellite orbits, the relativistic propagation of GPS signals and the impact of the atmosphere, changes in the shape of the Earth and Earth surface deformation due to tidal and non-tidal effects, and instrumental biases. Residual signals not explained by known models are then probed as to their hypothetical origin, where they be caused by redistribution of water on or near the Earth’s surface, earthquakes, mantle dynamics, atmospheric water vapor variation, or dark matter affecting atomic clock frequency. |
|
|
|