Karl Ulrich SchreiberView profile
Adjunct Professor
Karl Ulrich Schreiber is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and an apl. Professor at the Institute for Astronomical and Physical Geodesy at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). He is a scientist at the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell, jointly operated by TUM and the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG). His work bridges fundamental physics and geodetic applications, with leadership roles in major international projects including ESA’s MAGIC/Science, QSG4EMT, and Baltic+ Theme 5, as well as DFG Research Units NEROGRAV and UPLIFT. His research focuses on Space Geodesy , Satellite and Lunar Laser Ranging , and Ring Laser Technology . He has pioneered the use of large ring laser gyroscopes for measuring Earth's rotation, polar motion, and seismic rotations. His work enables high-precision monitoring of geophysical phenomena such as Earth tides, Chandler wobble, and rotational ground motions from earthquakes. He is a key contributor to multi-technique co-location studies (VLBI, SLR, GNSS) and time transfer experiments, advancing the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). His recent publications show a strong trend in developing and applying large-scale ring laser arrays (e.g., ROMY) for geophysical sensing, photon-counting laser ranging for space debris and satellite tracking, and optical timing systems for synchronization across geodetic networks. These efforts span disciplines including geodesy, seismology, quantum optics, and fundamental physics. Scientific contributions include: Development of the Wettzell Large Ring Laser (G-ring) for continuous Earth rotation monitoring. First direct measurements of Earth's diurnal polar motion and Chandler wobble using ring lasers. Pioneering work in rotational seismology, validating ring laser data against seismic arrays. Contributions to lunar laser ranging and its role in reference frame realization. Leadership in ESA and DFG projects advancing space geodesy and inertial sensing. He advises doctoral and master’s students within the DFG Research Training Group UPLIFT and collaborates with international institutions on instrumentation and data analysis. His lab at Wettzell hosts advanced laser ranging and ring laser systems, serving as a fundamental geodetic observatory. Future work includes enhancing clock ties for global geodesy, expanding multi-component rotation sensing, and advancing space-based geodetic technologies.








