International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service. IERS Conventions Center - USNO. Links: Earth rotation and IERS. ICRS Product Center. International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), formerly the International Earth Rotation Service, is the body responsible for maintaining global time and reference frame standards, notably through its Earth Orientation Parameter (EOP) and International Celestial Reference System (ICRS) groups.
History[edit] The IERS was established in its present form in 1987 by the International Astronomical Union and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, replacing the earlier International Polar Motion Service (IPMS) and the earth-rotation section of the Bureau International de l'Heure (BIH). The service began operation on January 1, 1988. Since its inception, the IERS has established new bureaus including the GPS Co-ordinating centre in 1990, DORIS Coordinating Centre in 1994 and GGF Coordinating Centre in 1998. Function[edit]