CGPS Crustal Velocity Field in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

[EN] As part of the research Project “ Geosciences in Iberia: Integrated studies on topography and 4-D evolution” a network of 26 continuous GPS stations, covering the Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula (22 stations) and Morocco (4 stations) was established. The major objective behind the establishment of this array was to monitor millimetre level deformation of the crust due to African and Eurasian tectonic plates. The locations of the Topo-Iberia sites are in open fields, not on buildings, and founded on bedrock, implying great stability of the concrete pillars and a high quality of observations. We present a velocity field based on the analysis of 1st March 2008 up to 31th December 2018 data from Topo-Iberia stations along with IGS, EUREF and regional GNSS stations. The data analysis was performed with the Bernese Processing Engine (BPE) of the software Bernese 5.2. At the end of this step, one daily solution in a loosely constrained reference frame is estimated. The daily network solutions is minimally constrained and transformed into the IGb14 frame. The rigid plate motion is statistically inferred using a simple χ2 test-statistics to select the coherent subset of sites defining a stable plate. Then, the velocity field is estimated from the IGb14 time series of daily coordinates with the complete covariance matrix using ad hoc software called as NEVE. Velocities were estimated simultaneously, along with annual signals and sporadic offsets at epochs of instrumental changes. Velocity errors are derived from the direct propagation of the daily covariance matrix.