UT/CSR analysis of earth rotation from Lageos SLR data

The 1983-1984 data collected by NASA and stations participating in the Crustal Dynamics Project from satellite laser ranging (SLR) systems are used to generate solutions for the earth polar motion. Solutions obtained using the MERIT Lageos standard data set are compared to operational results based on quick-look data and generated in near real-time, and the capability of Lageos SLR for the determination of earth orientation parameters (EOP) with high temporal resolution is investigated. Finally, the sensitivity of the MERIT campaign results to the number of tracking stations and to changes in the MERIT standard model is evaluated. It is concluded that the departures from the IAU/IUGG MERIT standards do not significantly change the solution and that solutions accurate at the 2 milliarcsec level can be maintained with a network of fewer than 10 appropriately selected stations.