Methodological approach for the estimation of a new velocity model for continental Ecuador

Abstract

AbstractWe used 33 stations belonging of the Ecuador Continuous Monitoring GNSS Network (REGME) during the period 2008-2014, with aim to contribute with a methodological approach for the estimation of a new velocity model for Continental Ecuador. We used daily solutions to perform the analysis of GNSS time series, to obtain models of the series that best fit, taking into count the trend, seasonal variations and the type of noise. The sum of all these components represent the real-time series, and thus we can have a better estimation of the velocity parameter and its uncertainty.The velocities were calculated introducing the trend, seasonality and noise that were presented in each series into the overall model, which improved uncertainty by 12% and changed in magnitude up to 1.7 mm/yr and 2.5 mm/yr in the horizontal and vertical components, respectively, with respect to the initial velocities. The velocity field describes the crustal movement of the REGME stations in mainland Ecuador with uncertainty of 1 mm/yr and 2 mm/yr for the horizontal and vertical components, respectively. Finally, a velocity model has been developed using the kriging technique whose geostatistical approach has been based on the data to identify the spatial characteristics by examining the observations by peers. The mean square error (rms) of prediction obtained in this method is 1.78 mm/yr and 1.95 mm/yr in the east and north components, respectivaly. The vertical component could not be modeled due to its chaotic behavior.