Crustal movements in Skane, Sweden, between 1992 and 1998 as observed by GPS

• We estimate a network of crustal deformations in Skane, southern Sweden, using observations of the Global Positioning System (GPS) from 1992, 1996 and 1998. The network straddles the Tornquist zone, potentially one of the most active fault zones in Sweden. In addition to two stations of the Swedish permanent GPS network (Onsala and Hassleholm), it includes seven GPS sites spaced approximately 80 km apart. The precisions of the relative horizontal components for these stations are described by repeatabilities with approximately 3 mm in the north-south direction and about 2 mm in the east-west direction in the campaigns in the reference frame ITRF96. About 70% of the GPS integer carrier phase ambiguities were resolved for the three campaigns. Three stations south of the Tornquist zone moved with a rate of 5+/-0.2 mm/a toward the SW-SE, and two other stations further to the east with a rate of 2+/-0.2 mm/a toward the SE, relative to station Onsala. The displacements mean that a lateral strike-slip transtensional fault exists within the Tornquist zone, and the relative motion between the two sides along the zone was about 2 mm/a. The old fault is still active, which is consistent with geological results. The station Stavershult closest to Onsala moved NE with about 1.5+/-0.8 mm/a relative to the station Onsala. This may imply a transtensional fault between Stavershult and Onsala. If we assume that Stavershult represents the Baltic shield, Onsala has moved 1.5 mm/a toward the southwest with respect to the Baltic shield, which was confirmed by data of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) from 1976 to 1997 (Argus, D.F., Peltier, W.R., Watkins, M.M. Glacial isostatic adjustment observed by Very Long Baseline Interferometry and Satellite Laser Ranging geodesy. JGR 1999;104(B12);29077-93).

Keyword

baltic shield

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)