Skip to main content

THE PIVO-2003 EXPERIMENT: A GPS STUDY OF ISTRIA PENINSULA AND ADRIA MICROPLATE MOTION, AND ACTIVE TECTONICS IN SLOVENIA

  • Conference paper
The Adria Microplate: GPS Geodesy, Tectonics and Hazards

Abstract

This contribution introduces our PIVO-2003 (Periadriatic-Istria Velocity Observations) GPS (Global Positioning System) experiment, designed to measure the motion of the Adria microplate and to study active deformation in Slovenia, along the NE corner of the microplate. To measure Adria's motion, we used decade-scale episodic GPS data from seven sites in the Istria peninsula of Slovenia and Croatia, which is Adria's major aseismic onshore unit, together with continuous GPS data from two permanent GPS sites on the Po Plain. We processed all of the GPS data using GIPSY (release 2.5) software and precise satellite ephemeris and clock files. We used data from 15 permanent GPS sites to define a stable European ITRF-2000 reference frame. We formally inverted subsets of the Istria and Po Plain Europe-referenced GPS velocities for a series of trial Adria-Europe rotation poles. Our average pole locates near that of Anderson and Jackson (1987), which was derived from the inversion of a broadly distributed, circum-Adriatic set of earthquake slip vectors; this coincidence brings into question the recent hypothesis that Adria is fragmenting into two major sub-blocks. To quantify and study active deformation in Slovenia, we used the same analysis strategy and data from 35 episodic GPS sites in Slovenia and northern Croatia and tens of permanent GPS sites located in the surrounding region. We observed a significant and sharp (few mm/yr) dextral (to transpressive) gradient in the velocity field along the Sava Fault (Periadriatic zone), suggesting that lateral extrusion in the Alps may still be active today.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

REFERENCES

  • Anderson H.A., Jackson J.A. Active tectonics of the Adriatic region. Geophys. J. R. Astr. Soc. 1987; 91: 937–983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altiner Y. Analytical Surface Deformation Theory. BerlIn Springer, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altiner Y. The contribution of GPS to the detection of the Earth’s crust deformations illustrated by GPS campaigns in the Adria region. Geophys. J. Int. 2001; 145: 550–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Argand E. La Tectonique de l’Asie. Proceedings of the International Geological Congress, XIII, 1924.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boucher C., Altamimi Z., Sillard P. The 1997 International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF-97). Paris: Observatoire de Paris, IERS Technical Note 27, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calais E., Nocquet J.M., Jouanne F., Tardy M. Current strain regime in the Western Alps from continuous Global Positioning System measurements, 1996–2001. Geology 2002; 30: 651-654.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Console R., Di Giovambattista R., Favali P., Presgrave B.W., Smriglio G. Seismicity of the Adriatic microplate. Tectonophysics 1993; 218: 343–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Agostino N., Giuliani R., Mattone M., Bonci L. Active crustal extension in the central Apennines (Italy) inferred from GPS measurements in the interval 1994–1999. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2001; 28: 2121–2124.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeMets C., Gordon R., Argus D., Stein S. Current plate motions. Geophys. J. Int. 1990; 101: 425–478.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeMets C., Gordon R., Argus D., Stein S. Effect of recent revisions to the geomagnetic time scale on estimates of current plate motion. Geophys. Res. Lett. 1994; 21: 2191–2194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon T.H., Miller M., Farina F., Wang H., Johnson D. Present-day motion of the Sierra Nevada block and some tectonic implications for the Basin and Range province, North American Cordillera. Tectonics 2000; 19: 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Favali P., Funiciello R., Mattietti G., Mele G., Salvini F. An active margin across the Adriatic Sea (central Mediterranean Sea). Tectonophysics 1993; 219: 109–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fodor L., Jelen B., Márton E., Skaberne D.,Čar J., Vrabec M. Miocene-Pliocene tectonic evolution of the Slovenian Periadriatic fault: Implications for Alpine-Carpathian extrusion models. Tectonics 1998; 17: 690–709.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grenerczy G., Kenyeres A., Fejes I. Present crustal movement and strain distribution in Central Europe inferred from GPS measurements. J. Geophys. Res. 2000; 105(B9): 21835–21846.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horváth F., Cloething S. Stress–induced late–stage subsidence anomalies in the Pannonian Basin. Tectonophysics 1996; 266: 287–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Italiano F., Martelli M., Martelli G., Nuccio P.M. Geochemical evidence of melt intrusions along lithospheric faults of the Southern Apennines, Italy: Geodynamic and seismogenic implications. J. Geophys. Res. 2000; 105: 13,569–13,578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laubscher H. The large-scale kinematics of the western Alps and the northern Apennines and its palinspastic implications. Am. J. Sci. 1971; 271: 193–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laubscher H. The late Alpine (Periadriatic) intrusions and the Insubric Line. Mem. Soc. Geol. It. 1983; 26: 21–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mao A., Harrison C.G.A., Dixon T. H. Noise in GPS coordinate time series: J. Geophys. Res. 1999; 104: 2797–2816.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClusky S., Balassanian S., Barka A., Demir C., Ergintav S., Georgiev I., Gurkan O., Hamburger M., Hurst K., Kahle H., Kastens K., Kekelidze G., King R., Kotzev V., Lenk O., Mahmoud S., Mishin A., Nadariya M., Ouzounis A., Paradissis D., Peter Y., Prilepin M., Reilinger R., Sanli I., Seeger H., Tealeb A., Toksoz M. N., Veis G. Global positioning system constraints on plate kinematics and dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean and Caucasus. J. Geophy. Res. 2000; 105: 5695–5719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie D.P. Active tectonics of the Mediterranean region. Geophys. J. R. Astr. Soc. 1972; 30: 109–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miškovič D., Pesec P, Stangl G. GPS re-measurments in the Bovec-Tolmin earthquake region. Proceedings Second International Symposium “Geodynamics of the Alps-Adria area by means of terrestrial and satellite methods”, Dubrovnik, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oldow J., Ferranti L., Lewis D., Campbell J., D’Argenio B., Catalano R., Pappone G., Carmignani L., Conyi P., Aiken C. Active fragmentation of Adria, the north African promontory, central Mediterranean orogen. Geology 2002; 30: 779–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oncescu M.C. Three-dimensional P-wave velocity image under the Carpathian arc. Tectonophysics 1984; 106: 305–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picha F.J. Late orogenic strike-slip faulting and escape tectonics in frontal Dinarides-Hellenides, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece. AAPG Bull 2002; 86: 1659–1671.

    Google Scholar 

  • Placer L. Geologic structure of southwestern Slovenia. Geologija 1982; 24: 27–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Placer L. Structural meaning of the Sava Folds. Geologija 1999; 41: 191–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Platt J. Dynamics of orogenic wedges and the uplift of high-pressure metamorphic rocks. GSA Bull.1986; 97: 1937–1053.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poljak M., Živčič M., Zupančič P. The seismotectonic characteristics of Slovenia. Pure and Applied Geophysics 2000; 157: 37–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratschbacher L., Frisch W., Linzer H.G., Merle O. Lateral extrusion in the Eastern Alps, part 2: Structural analysis. Tectonics 1991; 10: 257–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Royden L., Horvath F., Burchfiel B.C. Transform faulting, extension, and subduction in the Carpathain Pannonian region. GSA Bull. 1982; 93: 717–725.

    Google Scholar 

  • Royden L., Patacca E., Scandone P. Segmentation and configuration of subducted lithosphere in Italy: an important control on thrust-belt and foredeep-basin evolution. Geology 1987; 15: 714–717.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt S., Aebli H. R., Heller F., Zingg A. The role of the Periadriatic Line in the tectonic evolution of the Alps. In: Alpine Tectonics, M.P. Coward, D. Dietrich, R.G. Parks, eds., London: Geol. Soc. London Spec. Publ. 1989; 45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sella G., Dixon T., Mao A. REVEL: A model for recent plate velocities from space geodesy. J. Geophys. Res. 2002; 1029:2000JB000033.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selvaggi G., Amato A. Subcrustal earthquakes in the northern Apennines (Italy): evidence for a still active subduction? Geophys. Res. Lett. 1992; 19: 2127–2130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomljenović B., Csontos L. Neogene-Quaternary structures in the border zone between Alps, Dinarides and Pannonian Basin (Hrvatsko zagorje and Karlovac Basins, Croatia). Int. Geol. J. 2001; 90: 560–578.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vrabec M. Style of postsedimentary deformation in the Plio–Quaternary Velenje basin, Slovenia. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatshefte 1999; 8: 449–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vrabec M. Structural analysis of the Sava fault zone between Trstenik and Stahovic,PhD thesis., University of Ljubljana, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vrabec M., Fodor L., Márton E. Pliocene to recent structural evolution at the junction of the Alps, Dinarides and the Pannonian basin. In: Quantitative neotectonics and seismic hazard assessment: new integrated approaches for environmental management, G. Báda, eds., 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward S. Constraints on the seismotectonics of the central Mediterranean from Very Long Baseline Interferometry. Geophys. J. Int. 1994; 11: 441–452.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber J., Dixon T., DeMets C., Ambeh W., Jansma P., Mattioli G., Bilham R., Saleh J., Perez O. A GPS Estimate of the Relative Motion between the Caribbean and South American Plates, and Geologic Implications for Trinidad and Venezuela. Geology 2001; 29: 75–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wortel M., Spakman W. Subduction and slab detachment in the Mediterranean-Carpathian region. Science 2000; 290: 1910–1917.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zumberge J., Heflin M., Jefferson D., Watkins M., Webb F. Precise point positioning for efficient and robust analysis of GPS data from large networks. J. Geophys. Res. 1997; 102: 5005–5017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2006 Springer

About this paper

Cite this paper

Weber, J., Vrabec, M., Stopar, B., Pavlovčič‐Prešeren, P., Dixon, T. (2006). THE PIVO-2003 EXPERIMENT: A GPS STUDY OF ISTRIA PENINSULA AND ADRIA MICROPLATE MOTION, AND ACTIVE TECTONICS IN SLOVENIA. In: Pinter, N., Gyula, G., Weber, J., Stein, S., Medak, D. (eds) The Adria Microplate: GPS Geodesy, Tectonics and Hazards. Nato Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, vol 61. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4235-3_21

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics