Topo-Iberia Project: CGPS crustal velocity field in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco

Abstract

A new continuous GPS network was installed under the umbrella of a research project called 'Geociencias en Iberia: Estudios integrados de topografı´a y evolución 4D (Topo-Iberia)', to improve understanding of kinematic behavior of the Iberian Peninsula region. Here we present a velocity field based on the analysis of the 4 years of data from 25 stations constituting the network, which were analyzed by three different analysis groups contributing to the project. Different geodetic software packages (GIPSY-OASIS, Bernese and GAMIT) as well as different approaches were used to estimate rates of present day crustal deformation in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. In order to ensure the consistency of the velocity fields determined by the three groups, the velocities obtained by each analysis center were transformed into a common Eurasia Reference Frame. After that, the strain rate field was calculated. The results put in evidence more prominent residual motions in Morocco and southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula. In particular, the dilatation and shear strain rates reach their maximum values in the Central Betics and northern Alboran Sea. A small region of high shear strain rate is observed in the east-central part of the peninsula and another deformation focus is located around the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz.