Field of Work
The Earth is changing and satellite geodesy plays a key role in documenting this global change. The research of Prof. Sneeuw focuses on satellite gravimetry, a spaceborne technique that measures the gravity field of the Earth and its change over time. These changes document how mass is redistributed in the Earth system. Therefore, they carry direct information on global change processes like sea level change, ice cap melting or ground water depletion. Even the mass changes due to the global water cycle or due to large earthquakes and tsunamis are observed. Prof. Sneeuw does not only deal with applications of satellite gravimetry in the various Earth sciences but also takes a keen interest in the technological aspects leading to concrete satellite missions: classical and quantum-based accelerometry, satellite formation flying, orbit design.
Personal Information
Nico Sneeuw was born in Noordoostpolder, The Netherlands, in 1966. After his MSc graduation in Geodetic Engineering at the Delft University of Technology in 1989 he received a PhD from the Technical University Munich in 2000. From 2001 to 2005 he was affiliated as assistant professor to the Department of Geomatics Engineering at the University of Calgary. In 2004 he visited the University of Stuttgart with a Humboldt Research Fellowship. Since Summer 2005 he is Professor and Head of the Institute of Geodesy at the University of Stuttgart and Vice Dean of Faculty 6: Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy. Prof. Sneeuw is Fellow of the International Association of Geodesy and Editor of Surveys in Geophysics.