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GPS Used To Monitor Continental Drift

Posted by simoniker on from the landmass-geocaching-over-millenia dept.

metz2000 writes "BBC News is reporting that a team of scientists from Nottingham (UK) are using GPS to measure sea levels and continental drift. The team has around 50 stations across the UK, and use GPS technology to track miniscule changes in altitude and location. This allows the team to gain an understanding of how the UK landmass is likely to change over the coming centuries. They have discovered that the British Isles are tilting, with the north of the country gaining altitude and the south of the country 'sinking'."

6 of 225 comments (clear)

  1. Wonderful! by w.p.richardson · · Score: 1, Insightful
    More pseudo-science to support whatever the latest fad theory du jour is!

    Global warming! Phew, it's hot!

    Global freeezing! Brrr, it's cold!

    Recreational boating decreases the sea level!

    etc.

    These devices are not accurate enough for this. Continental drift occurs on the order of feet per eon. I can almost hear the hysteria: "Researchers predict the Atlantic Ocean will be empty by 2012", soon to be followed by "Oops, disregard that last report - Mount Kilamanjaro will be an island in 2015!"

    What a waste of time.

    --

    Curb CO2 emissions: Kill yourself today!

    1. Re:Wonderful! by sandgroper · · Score: 2, Insightful
      These devices are not accurate enough for this.


      On the contrary, while the receivers that you spend a hundred bucks on are indeed not accurate enough, GPS based geodesy is a raging success. They use very expensive receivers with multiple frequencies and occupy sites for hours at a time to get the kinds of numbers needed for geodetic measurements. Been going on for years. The major inaccuracies have to do with index-of-refraction effects in the atmosphere (hence the need for multi-frequency instruments).

    2. Re:Wonderful! by djward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Continental drift occurs on the order of feet per eon."

      Actually, rates range up to 20 cm/year in some places. In this case, I thing they were saying 2-3 cm/yr. This is very measureable by continuous GPS from permanent stations; see a lot of these other comments for why.

      These GPS networks have been used with great success over the past 15 years or so in places like Japan, California, and New Zealand, to name a few. Nice to see it getting put in in other places

  2. Re:Solution? by jeremyp · · Score: 2, Insightful

    From the article:

    "GPS measurements have also allowed scientists to show that the UK is drifting about 2-3 cm each year in a north-easterly direction."

    Of course you need to know what the rest of Europe is doing as well. I suspect, if it is on the same techtonic plate as Europe, then Europe is doing the same thing.

    --
    All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
  3. Re:Altometer on a boat?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    However, sea level varies due to tides. Knowing that the water is too shallow for you to cross that sandbar is much nicer then wrecking your yacht...

  4. Re:Altometer on a boat?! by lyonsden · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A lot of bodies of water are above sea level. The Colorado river starts at 9,010 feet above sea level.