Use of Geodesy and Geophysics Measurements to Probe the Gravitational Interaction

Despite its extraordinary successes, the theory of General Relativity is likely not the ultimate theory of the gravitational interaction. Indeed, General Relativity as such is a classical theory and is therefore incomplete since it does not include any quantum effects. Moreover, most physicists agree that GR and the Standard Model are only effective field theories that are low-energy approximation of a more fundamental and more general theory that would provide a unified description of all the fundamental interactions. On the observational side, Dark Matter and Dark Energy are required to explain most of astrophysical and cosmological observations and very few is known and this two Dark components, which is sometimes interpreted as an hint that our theory of gravitation is incomplete. For these reasons, General Relativity is confronted to an increasing number of measurements, searching for deviations in more and more frameworks that extend General Relativity. Amongst all the measurements used to search for and to constrain deviations from General Relativity, a observations developed in the context of geodesy and geophysics are playing an important role like for example atomic clocks comparison, gravimetry measurements, satellite and lunar laser ranging, very long baseline interferometry, etc ...In this communication, we present briefly each of these geodesic/geophysics measurements and show how they have recently been used to constrain extensions of General Relativity, model of Dark Matter or of Dark Energy.