ITRF to GDA94 coordinate transformations

Abstract The Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94) is a static coordinate datum realised with respect to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) at the reference epoch of 1 January 1994. At this time GDA94 and ITRF were coincident, however, as a consequence of the tectonic motion of the Australian Plate, ongoing refinement of the ITRF and crustal deformation, the two reference frames have diverged and the absolute difference between them is now approximately 1 m. Consequently, precise coordinate transformations between ITRF and GDA94 are required for many applications, and in this study these transformations are reviewed, improved and extended. New transformation parameters between ITRF and GDA94 are computed, including the specific ITRF realisations of ITRF1996, ITRF1997, ITRF2000, ITRF2005 and ITRF2008. The two most recent ITRF realisations, ITRF2005 and ITRF2008, after transformation have a root-mean-square difference of less than 10 and 30 mm in the horizontal and vertical components, respectively, with respect to GDA94 at the Australian Fiducial Network (AFN) stations. However, the magnitude of some residuals exceed 15 and 60 mm in the horizontal and vertical components, respectively, which reflects the accuracy limit of GDA94. Finally, the implications and future strategies for managing the differences between GDA94 and ITRF are discussed, including novel coordinate transformation approaches and justifications for the modernisation of GDA.

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