Multiframe Transformation With Variance Component Estimation

Abstract

The modern GNSS technique is one of the most effective geoscience and remote-sensing tool to observe crustal motions and quantify plate tectonics dynamics. Given multiple installed continuously operating GNSS observing stations, the multi-frame transformation is implemented to connect the timevarying GNSS coordinates by the traditional step-wise method. Compared with the step-wise treatment of each pair of frames, the proposed structured total least-squares method considers the combined estimation for all frames, guaranteeing unique and consistent results for the multi-frame symmetric transformation. Furthermore, we introduce the variance component as the nutshell and flexible indicator for land movement. The variance components can quantify the movement coordinate-wise, regional-wise, or frame-wise if the variance components are estimable as we analyze. The simulated experiment shows that the multi-frame symmetric transformation is statistically superior to the traditional stepwise treatment. For the application, the deformation caused by Tohoku earthquake that happened in 2011 in northeast Japan is analyzed.