An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in California
Abstract We analyze data from 580 continuous global positioning system (GPS) stations in California to quantify differences in published velocity estimates from five analysis centers. Horizontal and vertical rates for individual stations can differ up to 5 mm/yr, with systematic differences in some...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Earth and Space Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001345 |
| _version_ | 1819130072752193536 |
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| author | Christopher W. Johnson Nicholas Lau Adrian Borsa |
| author_facet | Christopher W. Johnson Nicholas Lau Adrian Borsa |
| author_sort | Christopher W. Johnson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We analyze data from 580 continuous global positioning system (GPS) stations in California to quantify differences in published velocity estimates from five analysis centers. Horizontal and vertical rates for individual stations can differ up to 5 mm/yr, with systematic differences in some areas comparable to deformation rates. Published velocity uncertainties vary between analysis centers and are systematically underreported in the horizontal relative to empirical uncertainties calculated from the scatter of analysis center velocities. In the vertical, published velocity uncertainties are both over and underreported and vary more widely between centers. An interpolated ensemble vertical velocity field shows high‐subsidence regions in the Central Valley and Salton Trough have the largest empirical uncertainties, while station density has a modest impact on uncertainties. Applications that rely on subcentimeter GPS accuracy should consider the possibility that formal errors published with velocity rate estimates understate true velocity uncertainties in both the horizontal and vertical. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:53:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-76bba2e6ed53415e8f1202a743e2bc23 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2333-5084 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:53:48Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth and Space Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-76bba2e6ed53415e8f1202a743e2bc232022-12-21T18:31:53ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Earth and Space Science2333-50842021-01-0181n/an/a10.1029/2020EA001345An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in CaliforniaChristopher W. Johnson0Nicholas Lau1Adrian Borsa2Los Alamos National Laboratory Geophysics Group Los Alamos NM USAScripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA USAScripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA USAAbstract We analyze data from 580 continuous global positioning system (GPS) stations in California to quantify differences in published velocity estimates from five analysis centers. Horizontal and vertical rates for individual stations can differ up to 5 mm/yr, with systematic differences in some areas comparable to deformation rates. Published velocity uncertainties vary between analysis centers and are systematically underreported in the horizontal relative to empirical uncertainties calculated from the scatter of analysis center velocities. In the vertical, published velocity uncertainties are both over and underreported and vary more widely between centers. An interpolated ensemble vertical velocity field shows high‐subsidence regions in the Central Valley and Salton Trough have the largest empirical uncertainties, while station density has a modest impact on uncertainties. Applications that rely on subcentimeter GPS accuracy should consider the possibility that formal errors published with velocity rate estimates understate true velocity uncertainties in both the horizontal and vertical.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001345GPS velocityCalifornia GPSGPS velocity uncertatintyGPS vertical velocity |
| spellingShingle | Christopher W. Johnson Nicholas Lau Adrian Borsa An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in California Earth and Space Science GPS velocity California GPS GPS velocity uncertatinty GPS vertical velocity |
| title | An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in California |
| title_full | An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in California |
| title_fullStr | An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in California |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in California |
| title_short | An Assessment of Global Positioning System Velocity Uncertainty in California |
| title_sort | assessment of global positioning system velocity uncertainty in california |
| topic | GPS velocity California GPS GPS velocity uncertatinty GPS vertical velocity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001345 |
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