Contribution of the VLBA Network to Geodynamics

TL;DR

This paper discusses a decade of VLBA network geodetic observations, highlighting its contributions to measuring intra-plate motions, verifying site variation models, and advancing geophysical understanding.

Contribution

It presents the long-term impact of VLBA geodetic data on understanding Earth's geodynamics and improving geophysical models.

Findings

Reliable measurement of slow intra-plate station motions.

Verification of models of site position variations.

Advancement in understanding mantle rheology.

Abstract

A decade of observations in geodetic mode with the VLBA network gave valuable results. Approximately 1/5 of all geodetic observations are recorded in VLBA mode and processed at the Socorro correlator. Ten years of observations allowed us to reliably measure slow intra-plate motion of the VLBA stations located on the North-American plate. It also helped us to achieve scientific objectives of geodetic programs: verify models of harmonic and anharmonic site position variations caused by various loadings, improve models of core-mantle boundary, investigate mantle rheology and solve other tasks.