Integrated satellite interferometry in Southern California

Abstract

Geodetic studies of crustal deformation and earthquakes in California, which began with the analysis of repeated triangulation measurements after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, have been revolutionized by new satellite interferometric techniques in space geodesy and remote sensing. Today, space geodetic monitoring of crustal deformation at regional scales relies on a combination of continuous Global Positioning System regional arrays (CGPS), such as the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN), and less frequent field GPS surveys. A global continuous GPS array, the International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS), provides precise satellite ephemerides and a well‐defined terrestrial reference frame. Data from CGPS arrays can also be used to map tropospheric water vapor and ionospheric disturbances.