The analysis of interseismic GPS observation and its implication to seismic activity in Taiwan area

Abstract:

Taiwan is an active tectonic area with about 80 mm/yr plate convergence rate. To understand the crustal deformation and seismic potential in Taiwan area. We derived 2009-2014 interseismic GPS velocity field and strain rate, implicate to seismic activity of 2005-2014. Data collected by 281 sites of Taiwan Continuous GPS (cGPS) Array and processed with GAMIT/GLOBK software. Stacking of power spectral densities from cGPS data in Taiwan, we found the errors type can be described as a combination of white noise and flicker noise. The common errors are removed by stacking 50 cGPS sites with data period larger than 5 years. By removing the common errors, the precision of GPS data has been further improved to 2.3 mm, 1.9 mm, and 6.9 mm in the E, N, U components, respectively.

After strictly data quality control, time series analysis and noise analysis, we derive an interseismic ITRF2008 velocity field from 2009 to 2014 in the Taiwan area. The general pattern is quite similar with previous studies, but the station density is much larger and spatial coverage better. Based on this interseismic velocity field, we estimate the crustal strain rate in Taiwan area. Approximately half of plate convergence strain rate is accommodated on the fold and thrust belt of western Taiwan and another half is taken up in the Longitudinal Valley and the Coastal Range in eastern Taiwan. The maximum dilatation rates is about -0.75～-0.9 μstrain/yr in WNW-ESE direction. The velocities in western Taiwan generally show a fan-shaped pattern, consistent with the direction of maximum compression tectonic stress. Extension in the E-W direction is observed at the Central Range area, the focal mechanism results also indicate the earthquake type here most are normal faults. In northern Taiwan, the velocity vectors reveal clockwise rotation, indicating the on-going extensional deformation related to the back-arc extension of the Okinawa Trough. In southern Taiwan, the horizontal velocity increases from about 40 mm/yr at Chianan to 55 mm/yr in the Kaoping area with a counterclockwise rotation. The 2005-2014 seismicity in Kaoping area presents very low activity but with very high strain rate and active crustal deformation. It could be aseismic slip which caused by the widespread soft sediments and mudstone resulting in plastic deformation in southwestern Taiwan.