Kinematics of the lithosphere from geodetic measurements

Spring 2006 - 3 credits
Contact and information: Prof. Eric Calais, CIVIL 3273, ecalais@purdue.edu

Summary


This course discusses how geodetic measurements can be used to quantify the kinematics of the lithosphere. In a way, it starts where my GPS geodesy course left, although no previous knowledge in geodesy is required.

The course covers plate and block rigid motions, strain, intraplate deformation, interseismic strain accumulation, interplate coupling, coseismic and postseismic fault slip. It describes the methods used to estimate kinematic parameters from geodetic information and discusses case studies.

Labs will be based, for a large part, on programming some of methods discussed during the lectures and applying them to actual data sets. Knowledge of a programming language is required.

The REVEL plate motion model is derived from a global GPS data set (Sella et al., 2002)

Lectures


  1. Course objectives [pdf]
  2. Geodetic measurements: overview of major techniques [pdf]
  3. Reference frames [pdf]
  4. No-net-rotation frames [pdf]
  5. Hot-Spot frames [pdf]
  6. Plate motions, rigid rotations [pdf]
  7. Intraplate deformation [pdf]
  8. Strain, part 1 [pdf]
  9. Strain, part 2 [pdf]
  10. The deformation cycle [pdf]
  11. Inversion of geodetic data for slip on faults [pdf]
  12. Block models of plate boundary zone deformation [pdf]
  13. Combining geodetic and seismic anisotropy measurements [pdf]

Labs


  1. Lab 1[pdf]
    velo_itrf.comb)
    wgs2xyz
    xyz2wgs
    xyz2neu