Ivan I. Mueller

Ivan I. Mueller and his wife Marianne were married in 1950. He graduated from the Technical University of Budapest (now renamed the Budapest University of Technology and Economics).{{cite web|title=Ivan I. Mueller, 2002 Waldo E. Smith Medal|website=American Geophysical Union (AGU)|url=https://honors.agu.org/winners/ivan-i-mueller/#:~:text=Ivan%20I.%20Mueller%20was%20awarded%20the%20Waldo%20E.,D.C.%20The%20medal%20recognizes%20extraordinary%20service%20to%20geophysics }} He, with his family, left Hungary immediately after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He graduated from Ohio State University's Department of Geodetic Science and Surveying in 1960 with a Ph.D. in geodesy. His Ph.D. thesis is entitled The gradients of gravity and their applications in geodesy.{{cite web|author=Mueller, Ivan Istvan|title=The gradients of gravity and their applications in geodesy (Ph.D. thesis)|publisher=The Ohio State University|year=1960|url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/0ab6e7c2deaf9ea9d55cb8fb32e20895/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y}} Upon the recommendation of his thesis advisor, Veikko Heiskanen, Mueller was appointed to a faculty position at Ohio State University and continued there until his retirement in 1992 as professor emeritus and department chair emeritus.{{cite web|website=ÖAW — Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Austrian Academy of Sciences)|title=Ivan I. Mueller|url=https://www.oeaw.ac.at/m/mueller-ivan-i}}

Mueller shaped satellite geodesy from its beginnings and, in particular, designed several projects for intercontinental networks of satellite triangulation. One such project (1973/74) involved the use of Doppler instrumentation aboard satellites and is considered groundbreaking.{{cite journal|doi=10.1029/RG013i003p00242 |title=Introduction to the Report on Geodesy |date=1975 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=Reviews of Geophysics |volume=13 |issue=3 |page=242 |bibcode=1975RvGSP..13..242M }}{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/BF01447856 |title=Tracking station positioning from artificial satellite observations |date=1975 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=Geophysical Surveys |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=243–276 |bibcode=1975GeoSu...2..243M |s2cid=140647775 }} The project's innovations were combined with the Worldwide Geometric Satellite Triangulation Program, with Hellmut Schmid as technical director, to produce the most accurate coordinate determination to date across all seas and achieved a standard deviation of approximately ±3 m, which was about 20 times more accurate than the terrestrial methods, which at the time required extremely lengthy measurements over island chains.{{cite web|url=https://www.isprs.org/proceedings/Xxxiii/congress/partA/81_XXXIII-PartA.pdf|title=Professor Dr. h.c. Helmet H. Schmid (1914 – 1998)|website=International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (isprs.org)|year=2000}}

Another among Mueller's many ideas and projects involved Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) to investigate the geodynamics of California. Mueller proposed that for geodynamics and geodesy, instead of recording laser-distance measurements solely from numerous ground stations using signal-relaying satellites, a considerable improvement would be to integrate the ground stations with the development of an active laser-carrying satellite system with time-of-flight measurement on board. This could result in significant improvements in measurements in terms of speed and accuracy.{{cite web|author=Mueller, Ivan I.|title=Basic research for the geodynamics program, report number No. NAS 1.26: 183149|year=1988|website=Document ID 19880018278, NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19880018278}} The idea had some problems with technical feasibility, but was adopted in a similar form around 1990 for the French DORIS Doppler measurement system.

At Ohio State University, Mueller was the thesis advisor for 25 doctoral students. He was the author or coauthor of 5 books and more than 220 scientific articles. His 1969 book Spherical and Practical Astronomy As Applied to Geodesy{{cite journal|author=Cook, Alan H.|author-link=Alan Cook (physicist)|doi=10.1093/gji/18.3.331-a |title=Review of Spherical and Practical Astronomy as applied to Geodesy by I. I. Mueller, with a chapter by H. Eichorn |date=November 1969 |journal=Geophysical Journal International |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=331–332 |doi-access=free }} became a standard text. He served as an associate editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research and from 1975 to 1987 as editor-in-chief of the Bulletin Géodésique (now merged into the Journal of Geodesy).{{cite web|url=https://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/vening-meinesz/2000/ivan-i-mueller/ |title=2000 Vening Meinesz Medal is awarded to Ivan I. Mueller |website=European Geosciences Union (EGU)}}

Mueller was elected in 1978 a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), in 1983 a Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and in 1988 an Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In 1993 his alma mater, the Technical University of Budapest, awarded him an honorary D.Sc. From 1987 to 1991 he was the president of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). He was awarded in 2000 the Vening Meinesz Medal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and in 2002 the Waldo E. Smith Medal of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). In 2013 the AGU established the Ivan I. Mueller Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership.{{cite web|url=https://www.agu.org/honors/mueller |title=Ivan I. Mueller Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership, Recognizing Significant Achievements in Geodesy|website=American Geophysical Union (AGU) }}

Ivan and Marianne Mueller greatly enjoyed opera, as well as orchestral and chamber music. Upon his death in 2023, he was survived by his widow, their two daughters, and four grandchildren.

• {{cite journal|doi=10.1007/BF01992361 |title=The determination of the regional part of the vertical gradient anomaly by a geodetic method |date=1961 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=Geofisica Pura e Applicata |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=1–6 |bibcode=1961GeoPA..48....1M |s2cid=140196421 }}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1061/JSUEAX.0000117 |title=Geodesy and the Torsion Balance |date=1963 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=Journal of the Surveying and Mapping Division |volume=89 |issue=3 |pages=123–155 }}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1029/JB079i035p05333 |title=Global satellite triangulation and trilateration results |date=1974 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research |volume=79 |issue=35 |pages=5333–5347 |bibcode=1974JGR....79.5333M }}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1007/BF02523950 |title=Concepts for reference frames in geodesy and geodynamics: The reference directions |date=1979 |last1=Grafarend |first1=Erik W. |last2=Mueller |first2=Ivan I. |last3=Papo |first3=Haim B. |last4=Richter |first4=Burghard |journal=Bulletin Géodésique |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=195–213 |bibcode=1979BGeod..53..195G }}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1007/BF02521791 |title=Global plate tectonics and the secular motion of the Pole |date=1978 |last1=Soler |first1=T. |last2=Mueller |first2=I. I. |journal=Bulletin Géodésique |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=39–57 |bibcode=1978BGeod..52...39S |hdl=2060/19770014827 |hdl-access=free }}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1017/S0252921100081069 |title=Reference Coordinate Systems for Earth Dynamics: A Preview |date=1980 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=International Astronomical Union Colloquium |volume=56 |pages=1–22 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1007/BF02520609 |title=Reference coordinate systems and frames: Concepts and realization |date=1985 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=Journal of Geodesy |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=181–188 |bibcode=1985BGeod..59..181M |s2cid=122296234 }}
• {{cite book|doi=10.1007/BFb0049648 |chapter=Chapter 5 instrumentation |title=The Interdisciplinary Role of Space Geodesy |series=Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences |date=1989 |volume=22 |pages=131–184 |isbn=3-540-51161-X }}
• {{cite book|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-80133-4_1 |chapter=The International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS): The Story |title=GPS Trends in Precise Terrestrial, Airborne, and Spaceborne Applications |series=International Association of Geodesy Symposia |date=1996 |last1=Beutler |first1=Gerhard |last2=Mueller |first2=Ivan I. |last3=Neilan |first3=Ruth E. |volume=115 |pages=3–13 |isbn=978-3-540-60872-1 }}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1017/S0252921100061340 |title=The First Decade of the IERS |date=2000 |last1=Mueller |first1=Ivan I. |journal=International Astronomical Union Colloquium |volume=178 |pages=201–213 |s2cid=129735196 |doi-access=free }} 2000
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s00190-008-0268-z |title=The international global navigation satellite systems service (IGS): Development and achievements |date=2009 |last1=Beutler |first1=Gerhard |last2=Moore |first2=Angelyn W. |last3=Mueller |first3=Ivan I. |journal=Journal of Geodesy |volume=83 |issue=3–4 |pages=297–307 |bibcode=2009JGeod..83..297B |s2cid=121034882 |url=https://boris.unibe.ch/37653/ }}

• {{cite book|author=Mueller, Ivan Istvan|title=Introduction to satellite geodesy|location=New York|publisher=Frederick Ungar Publishing Co.|year=1964|lccn=64015693|postscript=; xxi+415 pages, illustrated}}{{cite journal|doi=10.1126/science.145.3633.694.a |title=Geodesy's New Tool: Introduction to Satellite Geodesy by Ivan I. Mueller|date=1964 |last1=Schmid |first1=Hellmut H. |journal=Science |volume=145 |issue=3633 |page=694 |s2cid=239809445 }}
• {{cite book|title=Gravimetric and celestial geodesy; a glossary of terms|author=Mueller, Ivan Istvan|author2=Rockie, John D.|location=New York|publisher=F. Ungar Publishing Co.|year=1966|lccn=66019470|postscript=; xi+129 pages, illustrated}}
• {{cite book|author=Mueller, Ivan Istvan|title=Spherical and practical astronomy, as applied to geodesy|postscript=; with a contribution by Heinrich Eichhorn, xxx+615 pages|location=New York|publisher=F. Ungar Publishing Co.|year=1969|lccn=68031453|isbn=0804446679}}; 2nd edition 1977; 615 pages)
• {{cite book|title=Introduction to surveying|author=Mueller, Ivan I.|author2=Ramsayer, Karl H.|author-link2=Karl Ramsayer|year=1979|lccn=79004835|publisher=F. Ungar Publishing Co.|postscript=; xvii+324 pages, illustrated|isbn=0804446660}}
• {{cite book|author=Moritz, Helmut|author-link=Helmut Moritz|author2=Mueller, Ivan I.|title=Earth rotation: theory and observation|location=New York|publisher=F. Ungar Publishing Co.|year=1987|postscript=; xx+617 pages, illustrated|isbn=0804446717|lccn=86030756}}
• {{cite book|title=Reference frames in astronomy and geophysics|location=Dordrecht [Holland]; Boston|publisher=Kluwer Academic Publishers|year=1989|postscript=; x+474 pages, illustrated|isbn=079230182X|editor=Kovalevsky, Jean|editor-link=Jean Kovalevsky|editor2=Mueller, Ivan Istvan|editor3=Kołaczek, Barbara|series=Astrophysics and Space Science Library, volume 154|lccn=89002582}}; {{cite book|title=2012 pbk reprint of 1989 1st edition| date=6 December 2012 | isbn=9789400909335 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P7nrCAAAQBAJ |publisher=Springer }}
• {{cite book|title=The Interdisciplinary role of space geodesy : proceedings of an international workshop held at "Ettore Majorana" Center for Scientific Culture, International School of Geodesy, Director, Enzo Boschi, Erice, Sicily, Italy, July 23-29, 1988|editor=Mueller, Ivan I.|editor2=Zerbini, Susanna|location=Berlin; New York|publisher=Springer-Verlag|year=1989|postscript=; xv+300 pages, illustrated|isbn=038751161X|series=Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences; 22|lccn=89011266}}
• {{cite book|title=Developments in astrometry and their impact on astrophysics and geodynamics : proceedings of the 156th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held in Shanghai, China, September 15-19, 1992|editor=Mueller, Ivan I.|editor2=Kołaczek, Barbara|location=Dordrecht; Boston|publisher=Kluwer Academic|year=1993|postscript=; xxxi+440 pages, illustrated|isbn=0792322371|lccn=93016750}}

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Category:1930 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:American geodesists

Category:Budapest University of Technology and Economics alumni

Category:Ohio State University alumni

Category:Ohio State University faculty

Category:Fellows of the American Geophysical Union

Category:Hungarian emigrants to the United States

Category:Scientists from Budapest