Revealing Crustal Deformation and Strain Rate in Taiwan Using InSAR and GNSS

Interseismic deformation describes the gradual accumulation of crustal strain within the tectonic plate and along the plate boundaries before the sudden release as earthquakes. In this study, we use 5 years of high spatial and temporal geodetic measurements, including Global Navigation Satellite System and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar to monitor 3-dimension interseismic crustal deformation and horizontal strain rate in Taiwan. We find significant deformation (strain rate >8 x $\times $ 10(-6) yr(-1)) along the plate boundary between the Philippine Sea and the Eurasian Plates in east Taiwan. The high strain rate in the southern part of the Western Foothills is distributed along a few major fault systems, which reveals the geometry of the deformation front in west Taiwan. Our results help identify active faults in southwest and north Taiwan that were not identified before. These findings can be insightful in informing future seismic hazard models.

Automated summary

This study used high spatial and temporal geodetic measurements to monitor the interseismic crustal deformation and strain rate in Taiwan. The results revealed significant deformation along the plate boundary between the Philippine Sea and the Eurasian Plates, as well as high strain rate in the southern part of the Western Foothills, providing valuable insights for future seismic hazard models.