Stability analysis of the Iraqi GNSS stations

Abstract

Abstract The Iraqi GNSS network was installed in 2005 with help from the USA and UK. The network consists of seven GNSS stations distributed across Iraq. The network GNSS data have been comprehensively analyzed in this study; this, in turn, allowed us to assess the impact of various geophysical phenomena (e. g., tectonic plate motion and Earthquakes) on its positional accuracy, stability, and validity over time. We processed daily GPS data, spanning over more than five years. The Earth Parameter and Orbit System software (EPOS.P8), developed by the German Geoscience Research Center (GFZ), was used for data processing by adopting the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) strategy. The stacked time series of stations coordinates was analyzed after estimating all modeled parameters of deterministic and stochastic parts using the least-squares technique. The study confirmed a slight impact of the recent M 7.3 Earthquake on the Iraqi GNSS stations and concluded that the stations are stable over the study period (2013 up to 2018) and that the GNSS stations represent the movement of the Arabian plate.