The map of vertical crustal movements in Czechoslovakia and its interpretation

In addition to the measurements carried out in the framework of the 1973–1978 international relevellings, further levelling lines have been remeasured on the territory of Czechoslovakia till now. Considering all new relevellings on the region under study, an independent adjustment of annual velocities of vertical movements in whole network was performed. The values of vertical movements were determined relatively to the fundamental benchmark Želešice in the central part of Czechoslovakia, monumented in the bedrock of the southeastern border of the Bohemian Massif. The results are presented in a map of vertical movements and preliminarily interpreted in connection to the geological features of the territory under study.     

Height transformation models from ellipsoidal into the normal orthometric height system for the territory of the City of Zagreb

The paper presents the testing of the possibility of determining the heights of GPS points in the homogeneous field in the new Croatian Height Reference System (HVRS71) by using the method of height transformation. The testing was made in the area of Zagreb. As part of the field works, normal orthometric heights of 27 GPS points were determined according to the new height system, by transferring the benchmark heights using the geometric levelling method, thus obtaining GPS/levelling points of known ellipsoidal and normal orthometric heights. The GPS/levelling points served as the basis for determining the transformation models that enabled the computation of normal orthometric heights from ellipsoidal heights of any GPS point in the observed area. The empirical data used for modelling were reduced undulation dN values of GPS/levelling points. As part of the dN modelling with parametric functions, the approximation surfaces were obtained on the basis of three polynomials: FN310, FN312 and FN318. The transformation models were also tested using non-parametric Watson and Loess algorithms. The FN318 and Loess models yielded the best results.     

Improved determination of heights using a conversion surface by combining gravimetric quasi-geoid/geoid and GPS-levelling height differences

The quasi-geoid/geoid can be determined from the Global Positioning System (GPS) ellipsoidal height and the normal/orthometric heights derived from levelling (GPS-levelling). In this study a gravimetric quasigeoid and GPS-levelling height differences are combined to develop a new surface, suitable for “levelling” by GPS. This new surface provides better conversion of GPS ellipsoidal heights to the national normal heights. Different combining procedures, a four-parameter solution, linear and cubic splines interpolations, as well as the least-squares collocation method were investigated and compared over entire Norway. More than 1700 GPS-levelling stations were used in this study. The combined surface provides significant accuracy improvement for the normal height transformation of GPS height data, as demonstrated by the post-fitting residuals. The best solution, based on the least-squares collocation, provided a conversion surface for the transformation of GPS heights into normal height in Norway with an accuracy of about 5 cm.     

Relation of surface movements in West Bohemia to earthquake swarms

GPS observations in the Western Bohemia/Vogtland earthquake swarm region revealed indications of horizontal displacements of low amplitude, and no clear long-term trend in 1993–2007. On the other hand, in 1998–2001 there was relatively significant active movement along NNE-SSW oriented line that we called the “Cheb-Kraslice GPS Boundary” (ChKB), identical with an important limitation of earthquake activity. The most impressive were dextral (right-lateral) movements in the 1998–1999 period followed by reverse sinistral (left-lateral) movements in 1999–2000 that correlate with prevailing motion defined by fault plane solutions of the Autumn 2000 earthquake swarm. Before the February 2004 micro-swarm, two points located on opposite sides of the Mariánské Lázně fault showed extension in the order of about 7 mm in the same NNE-SSW direction of ChKB. The new NOKO permanent GPS station in Novy Kostel showed the peak-to-peak vertical changes up to 10 mm before and during the February 2007 micro-swarm. Annual precise levelling campaigns in the local network around Novy Kostel revealed regular vertical displacements during the 1994, 1997 and 2000 earthquake swarms. The points around the Novy Kostel seismological station showed uplift during the active periods, including the micro-swarm February 2004. However, no such indication was observed on levelling points in the period of the February 2007 swarm. Long-term vertical displacements depend on the same direction NNE-SSW (ChKB) as the GPS displacements. Both geodetic techniques have revealed oscillating displacements, GPS horizontal, and levelling vertical, rather than any long-term trends in the study period 1993–2007. The displacements exhibited significant spatial and temporal relation to tectonic activity (earthquake swarms) including their coincidence with the seismologically determined sense of motion along the fault plane during earthquakes.     

Transformation between gravimetric and GPS/levelling-derived geoids using additional gravity information

The transformation from the gravimetric to the GPS/levelling-derived geoid using additional gravity information for the covariance function of geoid height differences has been investigated in a test area in south-western Canada. A “corrector surface” model, which accounts for datum inconsistencies, long-wavelength geoid errors, vertical network distortions and GPS errors, has been constructed using least-squares collocation. The local covariance function of geoid height differences is usually obtained from residual values between the GPS/levelling and gravimetric geoid heights after the elimination of all known systematic distortions. If additional gravity data (in the form of gravity anomalies) are available, the covariance function of geoid height differences can be determined by the following steps: (1) transforming the GPS/levelling-derived geoid heights into gravity anomalies; (2) forming differences between the computed in step 1 and given gravity anomalies; (3) determining the parameters of the local covariance function of the gravity anomaly differences; (4) constructing an analytical covariance model for the geoid height differences from the covariance function of the gravity anomaly differences using the parameters derived in step 3. The advantage of the proposed method stems from the great number of gravity data used to derive the empirical covariance function. A comparison with the least-squares adjustment shows that the standard deviation of the residuals of the predicted geoid height differences with respect to the control point values decreases by 2.4 cm.     

A Gravimetric Geoid Computation and Comparison with GPS Results in Northern Andalusia (Spain)

Two new GPS surveys have been carried out to check the accuracy of an existing gravimetric geoid in a test area located in northern Andalusia (Spain). The fast collocation method and the remove-restore procedure have been used for the computation of the quasigeoid model. The Spanish height system is based on orthometric heights, so the gravimetrically determined quasigeoid has been transformed to a geoid model and then compared to geoid undulations provided by GPS and levelling at benchmarks belonging to the Spanish first-order levelling network. The discrepancies between the gravimetric solution and GPS/levelling undulations amount to ±2 cm for one survey and ±5 cm for another after fitting a plane to the geoid model.     

Comparisons of recent data of density scale height at 544–877 km with CIRA model

In order to obtain the observed scale height at high altitude a calculation method has been derived for determining density scale height from the difference between two satellite’s heights. Two balloon satellites, Chinese DQ-1A and DQ-1B, were launched together into a nearly circular orbit at a height near 900 km and they were together in orbit for 190 days. According to the difference of the orbital heights of these two balloon satellites from 19 September 1990 to 9 March 1991, 67 values of density scale height at heights of about 544–877 km were determined. In comparison with CIRA model the results show that: (1) the trend of the variation of the scale height with height is in agreement with CIRA; (2) the determined scale height values present an oscillatory variation with time and height; and (3) the mean of the observed scale height is 3.7% lower than the mean of corresponding values from CIRA-72 and 0.8% lower than CIRA-86.     

Vertical movements on the territory of Tallinn

Studies based on repeat levelling performed in the city of Tallinn show local earth surface deformations in the area of ancient valleys buried under quaternary sediments. Until 1964, the highest rate of sinking (up to 30 mm/year) was observed in the area south of Tallinn Old Port until Liivalaia Street. The maps of vertical movements drawn up on the basis of earlier levelling data indicate local sinking in the region of the city centre since 1951. From 1964 onwards, the intensity of the sinking has been steadily decreasing. The data obtained from the latest levelling works show that the sinking of the area under study has stopped or reversed into rising (up to +0.4 mm per year). Sinking of Tallinn is connected with the geological structure and ground water level.     

Accuracy Estimates of Normal Heights Computed at GPS Sites

The dependence of accuracy of determining normal heights at GPS sites on the density of distribution of the sites within the GPS/levelling frame has been investigated. If the density amounts to one GPS/levelling site per 400 km ² , the accuracy of about ±11.5 cm in the central part of Europe. If the density is higher, e.g. one GPS/levelling site per 200 km ² , an accuracy of about ±5 cm can be achieved.     

Quasigeoids for the Territory of the Czech Republic

Several quasigeoid models for the Czech Republic have been developed for different purposes since mid-seventies using different data sources: gravimetric, astronomical and GPS/levelling observations, as well as data gained from the territories of neighbouring countries. Two of the recent solutions, namely the VUGTK96 quasigeoid obtained from heterogeneous data and gravimetric quasigeoid CR2000 are described and compared. Accuracies of the models were estimated with the help of accuracy characteristics resulting from the processing, by comparison with GPS/levelling results available for most of the territory, and, finally, tested on a special GPS/levelling profile across the steepest slope of the quasigeoid surface in the south-eastern part of the territory. It is shown that the CR2000 gravimetric quasigeoid is suitable for transformation of ellipsoidal GPS heights to the gravity related heights with an accuracy of 3 cm.     

Tilts due to the free nutation of the Earth's axis in the results of geodetic observations

Summary Simple expressions for the deformation of equipotential surfaces and changes of the deflections of the vertical are derived at points of the Earth's surface, which are due to the variations of the rotational component of the gravity potential under free nutation of the Earth's axis of rotation (pole wandering). The results of the solution of this problem given in[1] are discussed. The values of the tilts and the changes of geoid heights for extreme deviations of the poles are considered from the point of view of the effect on measuring tilts and on levelling. An elastically deformable Earth is assumed. It is concluded that reductions with respect to the mean Earth's pole are not realistic at the present degree of accuracy of levelling. The necessity to reduce long-term tilt observations, or the possibility of determining the time variations of the rotational axis from the analysis of these observations is pointed out.     

Optimum structures of free levelling traverses

Summary Given a configuration of points of a levelling traverse, it is possible to determine their heights according to various plans by applying various optimization criteria. D-, restricted D-and L-optimum plans for various configurations are generally treated. Of two plans belonging to one and the same configuration we consider the one whose determinant, or trace of the covariance matrix of adjusted heights is minimum, to be optimal.Dedicated to RNDr Jan Pícha, CSc., on his 60th Birthday     

A gravity network in central Greece for secular gravity studies

The Sterea Hellas (central Greece) gravity network was remeasured in 1982, with the addition of 40 new stations. There were no statistically significant gravity differences for most of the gravity stations first established in 1968, but four stations—Arta, Preveza, Levadia, and Kymi—exhibited gravity changes of –121, –74, –39, and –67 gal, respectively.In the absence of repeat levelling, the exact amount of vertical displacement cannot be determined. Nevertheless, for Arta and Preveza some theoretical estimates can be made from shallow seismicity data. The vertical displacement deduced from a seismic-moment calculation for the western part of Greece was found to be about 100 mm, corresponding to a slip rate of approximately 7.5 mm/yr. The corresponding gravity change is too small to account fully for that observed at Arta and Preveza. For the rest, other causes, such as creep, should be considered. For the stations Kymi and Levadia the local seismicity is limited, and no calculation was made of the vertical displacement related to earthquakes.Finally, the possibilities in using the central Greece gravity network for studies of earthquake prediction are discussed.     

用多道维纳滤波方法处理唐山地震前后的大灰厂三种形变资料

大灰厂的三种形变资料的年变化显然与雨量及温度变化有关,后者在某种程度上干扰了曲线变化中的有效信息.唐山地震前1975年开始的明显变化是上述干扰因素所不能解释的.由于雨量和温度干扰因素的存在,确定异常的幅度及其起始时间是有困难的.我们用多道维纳(Wiener)预测滤波方法由输入(雨量、温度)来预测输出(短水准、连通管及伸缩仪资料).预测输出和实际资料之间的差别(预测偏差)即为我们所求的有效信息.大灰厂短水准异常变化开始于1975年4月,即开始于唐山地震前一年多.震前三个月左右观测到明显的短期异常.总异常幅度约为2毫米左右(短水准基线为26米).异常表明,唐山地震前八宝山断层活动特征具有逆冲性.      

Inter-annual variability and longer-term changes in the wave climate of Western Australia between 1970 and 2009

Quantifying the long-term variability in wave conditions incident on a coastline is critical for predicting its resilience to future changes in the wave climate. In this study, a 40-year wave hindcast of the southern Indian Ocean has been created to assess the inter-annual variability and longer-term changes in the wave climate around Western Australia (WA) between 1970 and 2009. The model was validated against measurements from five wave buoys located along the WA coast. Changes in the mean annual significant wave height, 90th percentile wave height, peak period and mean wave direction were assessed, and the tracks of all wave events generating wave heights above 7 m were digitised and analysed for significant changes. Results show strong annual and inter-annual variability in the mean significant wave height, the 90th percentile wave height and the number of large events (wave height > 7 m) that impact the WA coastline. A significant positive trend in annual mean wave height was found in the southwest region of WA over the 40-year simulation. This appears to be due to an increase in intensity of the storm belt in the Southern Ocean which is associated with an increasing positive polarity in the Southern Annular Mode. However, no significant trends were found in the 90th percentile wave height or the number of large wave events impacting Western Australia. Although the number of large wave events in the southern Indian Ocean have increased, their potential to impact the coastal regions of Western Australia are reduced due to storm tracks being located further south, therefore balancing the number of large wave events reaching the WA coast.     

Vertical velocities in Finland from permanent GPS networks and from repeated precise levelling

Postglacial rebound is a long-studied phenomenon in Fennoscandia, and the general features of contemporary vertical motion (0–8 mm/year relative to mean sea level) are well known from tide gauges and repeated precise levelling. GPS on permanent stations has proved to be a powerful tool in studies of crustal motion, capable of detecting small trends in a fraction of the time required by the classical methods. We determine vertical velocities from 5 years of data in the permanent Finnish GPS network FinnRef®. We compare them with velocities derived from three precise levellings spanning nearly hundred years, and from tide gauge records. From the comparison, both FinnRef velocities and levelled velocities appear to be accurate to 0.4 mm/year (one-sigma). The isobases (lines of equal velocities) are less elongated towards northeast than in geophysical models of the rebound. However, the processing of nearly the same GPS data in BIFROST using different methods produces velocities that disagree with FinnRef more than levelling does. The levelled velocities are between the two GPS results and do not resolve the conflict.     

Analysis of the effect of the coastal discontinuity on near-surface flow

Conditional sampling is used herein to examine the effect of fetch, stability, and surface roughness changes on wind speeds in the coastal zone. Using data from an offshore wind farm it is shown that at a distance of 1.2–1.7 km from the coast, up to a height of 20 m above the surface, differences in wind speed distributions from onshore and offshore masts are statistically significant for flow moving offshore under all stability conditions. In contrast, differences between the distribution of wind speeds at 38 and 48 m at masts located at the coast and in the coastal zone are not significant for flow moving offshore, indicating that flow at these heights is not fully adjusted to the change in surface roughness (land to sea). These findings are in accordance with calculations of the internal boundary layer (IBL) height which indicate that the IBL would frequently be below the two upper measurement heights at 1.2–1.6 km from the coast. The analyses presented here indicate that the wind speed distribution at a potential offshore wind farm site is not solely dependent on fetch (distance from the coast) but also depends on the stability climate.     

Microgravity and height changes caused by volcanic activity: Four

Microgravity measurements and levelling surveys on volcanoes are not always easy to make, but are useful for studying volcanic processes quantitatively. Gravity changes associated with volcanic activity are not always significant. Precision of microgravity measurements depend critically on the procedures adopted, and those applied in the present paper are described. Levelling technique is now orthodox, and some empirical laws relating ground deformation to volcanic activity are deduced from the accumulated data. Gravity changes occur at the same time and places as ground deformations. The relationship between microgravity and height changes are discussed from the standpoint of analyzing the data obtained on volcanoes. The observational results obtained on four volcanoes in Japan are separately analyzed because each volcano exhibits different patterns of gravity changes and deformations. During the 1977–1982 activity of Usu volcano, deformation was accompanied by microgravity changes frequently observed at a particular benchmark at the base of the volcano for about five years. The gravity changes prove to be not a direct effect of magma movements but to be caused by the deformations of ground strata and aquifers around the benchmark. The 1983 eruption of Miyakejima volcano was associated with local gravity changes around the eruptive fissures due to magma intrusion which was approximately modelled. Similarly the 1986 eruption of Ooshima volcano caused gravity changes on the volcano, but these were poorly correlated with elevation changes and their origins were not uniquely interpreted. To detect gravity changes associated with the activity of Sakurajima volcano, an equigravity point was selected at the north of the volcano besides the gravity points on and around the volcano itself. The probable gradual accumulation of magmas beneath the volcano for eight years is substantiated by observed microgravity and elevation changes.     

Are wind wave heights increasing in south-eastern south American continental shelf between 32°S and 40°S?

In this paper, a possible increase in wind wave heights in the south-eastern south American continental shelf between 32°S and 40°S is investigated. Both time series of in situ (1996–2006) and topex (1993–2001) annual mean significant wave heights gathered at the continental shelf and adjacent ocean present apparent positive trends. Even though these trends are not statistically different from zero, it must be taken into account that the available in situ and satellite data have a short span and, moreover, in situ data present several gaps. Several papers presented evidence about a possible change on the low atmospheric circulation in this region of the southern hemisphere. Consequently, a weak increase in wave height might be occurring, which would be hard to quantify due to the shortness and the insufficiency of the available observations. In order to study a possible trend in mean annual wind wave heights simulating waves nearshore (swan) model forced with ncep/ncar surface wind was implemented in a regional domain for the period 1971–2005. The annual root-mean-square heights of the simulated wave show significant trends at several locations of the inner continental shelf and the adjacent ocean. The most significant increase is observed between 1991–2000 and 1981–1990 decades. The largest difference (0.20 m, 9%) occurs around 34°S–48°W. The wave height increase is somewhat lower, 7%, in the continental shelf and in the río de la plata estuary. The annual mean energy density (spatially averaged) also presents a significant positive trend (0.036 m²/yr) and relatively high inter-annual variability. The possible link between this inter-annual variability and el niño–southern oscillation (enso) was investigated but no apparent relationship was found. A possible increase in the annual mean energy density of waves would be able to produce changes in the littoral processes and, consequently, in the erosion of the coast.