A preliminary research establishing the present-time intraplate blocks movement model on the Chinese mainland based on GPS data

Abstract

The Chinese mainland is regarded as the best area for studying the continental crustal movement and dynamics. In the past, based on the ground surface observation, it was very difficult to study the movement of the intraplate blocks within a range of larger space and a time scale of several years quantitatively. In this paper, a method of calculating the Euler vectors of present-time motion among blocks by using Cardan angles has been given completely based on two periods of GPS repetition measurement data of the National Ascending Plan of China (NAPC) — the study and application of current crustal movement and geodynamics in 1994 and 1996. A present-time blocks movement model on the Chinese mainland (PBMC-1), which describes the motion of seven blocks—Tibet, Chuan-Dian, Gan-Qing, Xinjiang, South China, North China and Heilongjiang block, is established preliminarily. The velocity field of the relative motion among the intraplate blocks and boundary motion in the Chinese mainland are firstly given within several years time scale. It is shown by the results calculated with the model that the velocity-rate of each block is reduced gradually from the south to north and from the west to east, and the motion direction changes gradually from NNE to E, even SEE or SE. The collision of Indian plate plays a leading role in the movement of the intraplate blocks in the Chinese mainland, while the motion manner and velocity-rate of block boundary zone (fracture zone) depend on the motion of every block again. The present-time motion of a time scale of several years computed with the model is not only largely consistent with the average motion of a time scale of several million years derived from geology, but also very coincident with the results of geophysical and astronomic observation. It is shown preliminarily that the observed results of space geodesy techniques such as GPS etc. are capable of discovering the crustal movement at present.