Reply to comment by J. Mrlina et al. on “Crustal deformations in the epicentral area of the west Bohemia 2008 earthquake swarm in central Europe”

Abstract

GPS campaigns were performed in West Bohemia by the Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics (IRSM) and the Institute of Geophysics (IG), both a part of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. To compare results from both campaigns, data must be processed using identical conditions. Unfortunately, the satellite signal monitoring and data processing applied by both Institutes differed substantially. The IG campaigns were stated as follows by Mrlina and Seidl [2008]: “performed with five GPS receivers in a five-days-long main campaigns under a constant plan of receivers/antennas rotation on particular sites. The methodology was aimed at suppression of the antenna center effects by observations with at least 2 different GPS sets at each point during one campaign and in different satellite geometry; it means not 1 GPS set at 1 point only”. The signals were processed using Trimble Total Control software v.2.73 which calculates the site positions fixed to one permanent NKIG station in Nový Kostel [Mrlina et al., 2014, henceforth, Comm]. The IRSM annual campaigns continuously monitored signals for two GPS days together at all sites and always with identical antennas at every site [Schenk et al., 2012, henceforth, S2012]. Signals were processed using Bernese software v.5 [Hugentobler et al., 2005], which calculates site positions in the defined ITRF: the EPN (BOR1, PENC, and ZIMM) and GEONAS stations (KYNS, LUBY, MARJ, and POUS) [Schenk et al., 2010b] as fiducial stations. All of the corrections required to reach highly precise positions were applied [S2012; Schenk et al., 2010a].