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  • Presentation | G52A: Plate Motion, Continental Deformation, and Interseismic Strain Accumulation III Oral
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  • G52A-01: Inferring tectonic plate rotations from InSAR time series (invited)
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Author(s):
Yuan-Kai Liu, California Institute of Technology (First Author, Presenting Author)
Zhang Yunjun, California Institute of Technology
Mark Simons, California Institute of Technology


Quantifying how tectonic plates move is key to understanding how Earth's surface deforms over time. Plate motions have traditionally been estimated using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations. However, GNSS stations are often unevenly distributed, especially away from active plate boundaries, making it harder to precisely determine broad-scale plate motions. InSAR, a satellite-based radar technique, offers widespread spatial coverage but measures only relative displacements along the satellite's line of sight, and it is often contaminated by long-wavelength noise. Here, we explore the use of InSAR to constrain the rotation field of the rigid Arabian Plate. We developed a method to correct for long-wavelength contributions of non-tectonic sources and extract absolute plate rotation from spatial gradients in InSAR-measured relative velocities. By assuming negligible large-scale vertical motion and horizontal intra-plate deformation, InSAR velocity alone can determine a plate’s Euler pole in the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF14). This approach demonstrates the broader potential for combining satellite and ground data to better understand tectonic plate kinematics and eventually the dynamics of lithospheric processes.



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