Site Velocities Obtained from Central Europe Regional Geodynamics Project and their Interpretation in Form of Surface Deformations

The epoch GPS observations performed in the framework of the Central Europe Regional Geodynamics Project are used for estimation of coordinates and velocities of monitored sites. The coordinate estimates and their covariance matrices from individual campaigns performed from 1994 to 1999 are combined in the complex model enabling to estimate besides the coordinates, velocities and transformation parameters also systematical parameters, as site eccentricities and antenna phase center positions. The horizontal velocities of selected reliable 24 sites are used for deformation analysis of Earth’s crust in Central European region. We apply the analytical surface deformation theory for evaluation of surface dilatation (or depression) and orientation and magnitude of maximum elongation (compression). The results obtained show the stability of northern part of Central Europe (deformations up to 2mm/100km/year) and structured distribution of horizontal deformations in the southern parts of the region with both dilatation and depression up to 4mm/100km/year.