GPS network monitors the Western Alps' deformation over a five-year period: 1993-1998

Vigny, C.; Chéry, Jean; Duquesnoy, Thierry; Jouanne, François; Ammann, Jérôme; Anzidei, Marco; Avouac, Jean Philippe; Barlier, F.; Bayer, R.; Briole, Pierre; Calais, E.; Cotton, Fabrice; Duquenne, F.; Feigl, K. L.; Ferhat, Gilbert; Flouzat, M.; Gamond, Jean-François; Geiger, Alain; Harmel, A.; Kasser, Michel; Laplanche, Maurice; Pape, M. Le; Martinod, Joseph; Ménard, Gilles; Meyer, B.; Ruegg, Jean; Scheubel, J.-M.; Scotti, Oona; Vidal, Gérard

doi:10.1007/s00190-001-0231-8

Cited by 53 publications

(44 citation statements)

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“…This result confirms the decrease of compression from south to north, which has been suggested by the seismological studies [48,49,52]. Based on GPS measurements and modeling studies on the GPS velocities, the crustal motions of the URG area are characterized by NW directed horizontal compressional rates between 0.1 and 2.9 mm/year with an E-W extension of 0.5 to 1.5 mm/ year [53][54][55][56]. The NNE-SSW trending URG, under the present day stress field, is subjected to sinistral transtension with NW directed horizontal stress (S H ).…”

Section: Discussion Of Emr Measurementssupporting

confidence: 85%

Active Structures in Central Upper Rhine Graben, SW Germany: New Data from Landau Area using Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Technique and Cerescope

Hagag¹,

Obermeyer²

2017

J Geol Geophys

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Two conjugate sets of active faults oriented NNE-SSW and NNW-SSE have been detected at Landau area in SW Germany. These faults follow the old trends of the rift-related structures predominating in the Upper Rhine Graben (URG), which originated during Late Eocene-Miocene time. Linear and horizontal measurements were performed by using the Cerescope device and interpreted, applying the Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Technique. Linear EMRprofiles were helpful for mapping active faults, while the main horizontal stress (σ H , N to NNE) was easily identified with EMR-horizontal measurements. Reactivation of rift-related structures of the Upper Rhine Graben at Landau area produces a new system of active shallow fractures following old trends, and has been detected through the present study by Cerescope applying the EMR-Technique. The present results imply that the Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) to the south of Landau has a great impact on reactivation of the pre-existing rift-related faults by mechanical hydro-fracturing occurring within the reservoir rocks underneath the area.

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Section: Discussion Of Emr Measurementssupporting

confidence: 85%

Active Structures in Central Upper Rhine Graben, SW Germany: New Data from Landau Area using Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Technique and Cerescope

Hagag¹,

Obermeyer²

2017

J Geol Geophys

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“…the same is true for the more recent GPs measurements with up to 10 years of observation. According to several French authors, however, there seem to be significant block-movements within the Western Alps (calais et al 2001;Vigny et al 2002), indicating extension in a NW-sE direction in the internal (French) Alps. these movements remain to be confirmed, their origin is a matter of debate.…”

Section: Triangulation Trilateration Gpsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Seismic source zone characterization for the seismic hazard assessment project PEGASOS by the Expert Group 2 (EG1b)

Burkhard

Grünthal

2009

Swiss J. Geosci.

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A comprehensive study of the seismic hazard related to the four NNP sites in NW switzerland was performed within the project PEGAsOs. to account for the epistemic uncertainties involved in the process of the characterization of seismic source zones in the frame of probabilistic seismic hazard assessments, four different expert teams have developed and defended their models in the frame of an intensive elicitation process.Here, the results of one out of four expert groups are presented. the model of this team is based first of all on considerations regarding the large scale tectonics in the context of the Alpine collision, and neotectonic constraints for defining seismic source zones. this leads to a large scale subdivision based on the structural 'architectural' considerations with little input from the present seismicity. Each of the eight large zones was characterized by the style of present-day faulting, fault orientation, and hypocentral depth distribution. A further subdivision of the larger zones is performed based on information provided by the seismicity patterns. 58 small source zones have been defined in this way, each of them characterized by the available tectonic constrains, as well as the pros and cons of different existing geologic views connected to them. Of special concern in this respect were the discussion regarding thin skinned vs. thick skinned tectonics, the tectonic origin of the 1356 basel earthquake, the role of the Permo-carboniferous graben structures, and finally the seismogenic orientation of faults with respect to the recent crustal stress field. the uncertainties connected to the delimitations of the small source zones have been handled in form of their regrouping, formalized by the logic tree technique.the maximum magnitudes were estimated as discretized probability distribution functions. After declustering the used EcOs earthquake catalogue and an analysis of data completeness as a function of time the parameters of the frequency-magnitude relations were derived within their uncertainties. Introductionthe sites of the four nuclear power plants (NPP) in NW switzerland have been subject to a comprehensive analysis of seismic hazard evaluated in the frame of the PEGAsOs project (Abrahamson et al. 2004; coppersmith et al., this volume). the definition of seismic source zones (ssZ) and the derivation of the parameters characterizing the seismic activity in each ssZ are integral parts of any probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. Here we present the results of one of the four expert groups (EG1b) responsible for the delineation of ssZ and determining the seismic activity parameters in the source zones.the study area was set up as the envelope of the radii of 300 km around all sites studied. this guarantees that the study area encompasses all seismic sources which have a seismic influence on the target sites. It extends well beyond the territory of switzerland, covering the southwestern parts of Germany, the western parts of Austria, the adjacent parts of northern Italy and n...

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“…It showed that Central Europe behaves rigidly and defines a stable Europe reference frame, in which the current strain pattern in the Western Alps combines an E-W extension with a right-lateral shear. This solution is then improved using data from 23 sites of the French Geodetic Reference Network (RRF) observed in 1993 and 1996 (Boucher et al 1998) and the GPS-Alps network acquired between 1993 and 1998, including 70 sites in the Western Alps, with an averaged inter-distance of ~50 km (Vigny et al 2002). A few sites of the Alpine network and the Rhine graben were re-measured in 2000 and 2001.…”

Section: Gps Velocity Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Caporali & Martin, 2000;Oldow et al 2002;Serpelloni et al 2005). GPS velocities are estimated 3 to 5 mm.y -1 on the period 1995-1998, and decrease with the duration of measurements (Calais 1999;Calais et al 2000;Vigny et al 2002). Some local/regional quantifications of GPS deformation show velocities of about 2 to 4 mm.y -1 of E-W oriented extension in the Brianconnais area (Sue et al 2000), 3 to 5 mm.y -1 of compression/strike-slip deformation in the area of the front of Belledonne massif (Martinod et al 1996;Martinod et al 2001) and 5 mm.y -1 of E-W to NE-SW compression at the southern termination of the Jura (Jouanne et al 1994).…”

Section: Introduction and Current Seismotectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 97%

Quantification of strain rate in the Western Alps using geodesy: comparisons with seismotectonics

et al. 2008

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The contrasted seismotectonic regime of the Western Alps is characterized by radial extension in the high chain, combined with local compressive areas at the foothill of the belt, and everywhere occurrence of transcurrent tectonics. Here, we compare this seismotectonic regime to a large-scale compilation of GPS measurements in the Western Alpine realm. Our analysis is based on the raw GPS database, which give the measured velocity field with respect to the so called "stable Europe", and an interpolated velocity field, in order to smooth the database on a more regular mesh. Both strain rate and rotational components of the deformation are investigated. The strain rate field shows patch-like structure, with extensional areas located in the core and to the North of the belt and compressional areas located in its periphery. Although the GPS deformation fields (both raw and interpolated) are more spatially variable than the seismotectonic field, a good qualitative correlation is established with the seismotectonic regionalization of the deformation. The rotation rate fields (both raw and interpolated) present counterclockwise rotations in the innermost part of the belt and a surprising continuous zone of clockwise rotations following the arc-shape geometry of the Western Alps along their external border. We interpret this new result in term of a counterclockwise rotation of the Apulia plate with respect to the stable Europe. This tectonic scheme may induce clockwise rotations of crustal block along the large strike-slip fault system, which runs in the outer part of the belt, from the Rhône-Simplon fault to the Belledonne fault and Southeastward, to the High-Durance and Argentera fault.

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GPS network monitors the Western Alps' deformation over a five-year period: 1993-1998

Cited by 53 publications

References 0 publications

Active Structures in Central Upper Rhine Graben, SW Germany: New Data from Landau Area using Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Technique and Cerescope

Active Structures in Central Upper Rhine Graben, SW Germany: New Data from Landau Area using Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Technique and Cerescope

Seismic source zone characterization for the seismic hazard assessment project PEGASOS by the Expert Group 2 (EG1b)

Quantification of strain rate in the Western Alps using geodesy: comparisons with seismotectonics

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