Permanent GPS Tracking Network Including the Mediterranean Area

In 1995, a proposal was developed within WEGENER to install and operate a network of Permanent GPS Stations around the Mediterranean area and adjacent areas. Established with the intention of determining the velocity of tectonic plate motions, the network has to cover the region between the Azores in the west and the Caspian Sea in the east. At the BKG, a part of this network is processed on a daily basis. Loosely constrained solutions are generated and analyzed to investigate geodynamic effects and their influence on geodetic reference systems in the Mediterranean area.The time series of coordinates available today cover a period of more than two years. Regional velocities are compared with NUVEL model velocities. The time series are analyzed for short and medium scale variations. Details of the time series analysis are given. Model calculations are presented and their significance for GPS data processing is discussed. The relationship between the obtained results and tidal deformation, and other possible effects, is being studied.