Present-day crustal deformation based on an interpolated GPS velocity field in the collision zone of the Arabia-Eurasia tectonic plates

Abstract

The oblique collision zone of Arabia-Eurasia is a seismically active region with complex crustal deformation patterns. While GPS measurements provide valuable data, their sparse distribution limits our understanding of the full extent of deformation. This study addresses this limitation by using a robust interpolation method for GPS velocity data in the collision zone. We utilized biharmonic splines to interpolate horizontal components of sparse GPS velocity data independently and in a coupled manner by altering Poisson ratio. This method is an effective means of interpolating sparse vector data in cases where deformation mechanics can be explained by elasticity principles. The interpolation process included fitting trends to the input data, calculating residuals, and analyzing them. The prediction process consisted of trend and spline fitting stages. We interpolate horizontal GPS velocities onto a standard geographic grid with a 30-minute interval, excluding data points with significant deviation. The data was partitioned into training and testing subsets, with the training set used for calibration and the testing set for evaluation of the interpolation method. Our analysis revealed an irregular spatial distribution of crustal movement. The northern component of the velocity field consistently points towards Eurasia and is greater than the eastern component. The amplitude of the northern component decreases from south to north and from west to east, indicating variations in deformation intensity. The eastern component exhibits a change in direction, moving westward in the western half of Iran and eastward in the eastern half, with a reversed trend in the north. This change in direction highlights the presence of solid blocks within the collision zone. Undeformed regions, major faults, convergence deformation, and compressing high-elevation regions are also observed in the collision zone. These findings provide a detailed picture of present-day crustal deformation in the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone, enhancing our understanding of the collision process.