Richard H. Rapp, 1937–2020, a Revered Geodesist

This piece about the late Prof Rapp was written by CK Shum, Professor of Geodetic Science & Distinguished University Scholar.

I am very saddened to forward the news of Professor Richard (Dick) H. Rapp’s passing.  He was a Professor Emeritus of Geodetic Science at School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University.  He passed away on Sunday, September 20th, 2020, with his family by his side.  Dick Rapp is world renowned in geodesy (physical, geometric, and satellite geodesy).  He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, and the International Association of Geodesy, Ohio State’s Distinguished University Scholar, a honorary Dr.-Ing.h degree awardee from Technische Universität München, and awardees of numerous other honors from NASA, IAG, National Academy of Sciences and elsewhere.  He developed the first and pioneering series of Earth’s high-resolution gravity field models during the 1980’s and 90’s at the Ohio State University, and  he was one of the chief architects for National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA’s, at the time, NIMA’s) Earth Gravitational Model, EGM 1996.  He set the standards and paved the theoretical and numerical foundations for the developments of the current NGA EGM2008.  He also worked on and was involved in scientific research advocating the various NASA and international satellite gravity missions at the Ohio State University, including proposed missions GRAVSAT, Geopotential Research Mission (GRM), GRADIO,  Aristoteles, TIDES, GAMES, and GEOID.  His pioneering contribution in global gravity field modeling has led to the highly successful NASA/DLR’s Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE), its successor, NASA/GFZ’s GRACE-Followon satellite gravimetry missions, and ESA’s GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) gravitational gradiometry mission.  Measurements from these missions revolutionized Earth and climate sciences, advances planetary explorations and research, and interdisciplinary and applications, such as navigations, which have positively impacted everyone’s life.  

Dick Rapp's mentees are among the world’s best experts in geodesy who were and are involved in Earth's static and temporal gravity field modeling, in NGA, NASA, NGS, world’s space, geodetic, surveying and mapping institutes, and other industries.  His contributions in geodesy are impeccable, and he positively touched every geodesist and scientist with whom he interacted, including myself.   He was very personable and was a great mentor.  He will be greatly missed.

I attach below links of his obituary, his brief bio, and also the link of the Ohio State University Geodetic Science Reports site, where you can find many of his seminal publications which are still being used in the current Earth Gravity Model research and applications: