9602179 Shen This award supports development of cooperation between Zheng- Kang Shen and David Jackson, UCLA, and Li Yanxing, State Seismological Bureau, Tianjin, on investigation of tectonic deformation in China using the Global Positioning System (GPS). The researchers will analyze existing data from Chinese GPS sites and initiate further studies in North China, an area that has received less attention than more active areas in the western areas of China. Active tectonic deformation has been recognized within the eastern Eurasia plate, mainly due to its collision with the Indian plate and its interaction with the Pacific plate along its eastern margin. How much deformation has been taking place either across the plate margins or along individual faults there is largely unknown. It is clear that the level of seismic activity in the region as a whole is very high. Thus the proposed work is an important component of understanding the dynamics of the region. The project has good potential to establish a GPS baseline in a tectonically active area through cooperation between the UCLA group and the SSB group. This could lead in the future to establishment of permanent GPS sites in China, which would benefit all researchers working in and around China.
