Global Plate Kinematics Estimated by GPS Data of the IGS Core Network

Abstract

The GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ) operates as Analysis Center in the “International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS)” and analyses the global GPS data on a daily basis. The high accuracy of the GPS technique allows to determine global tectonic motions even from a small time interval of two and a half year. Baseline rates and station position time series derived from linear fitting of weekly solutions as well as velocity vectors derived from simultaneous adjustment of site position and motion are presented. The determination of site positions and baseline rates gives an accuracy of ±1 – ±5 mm/yr in a global scale. The estimated motions show a good agreement with the geologically derived model NUVEL-1 and with ITRF solution.