A Combined GPS Velocity Field for the Caribbean Plate and its Margins

The Caribbean region is one of the first locales where the potential of GPS for tectonic applications was tested in the early 1980's. Since then, GPS measurements have been key to establishing the present-day kinematics of the Caribbean plate and quantifying deformation along segments of its boundaries in tectonic contexts ranging from strike-slip, subduction, to collisional. Among other motivations, there is a strong interest in better understanding the seismic and tsunami hazards posed by these seismically active structures. Here we combine new and previously published GPS data set covering all or segments of the Caribbean plate and its margin into a single consistent velocity field for the area. We use Helmert-type transformations to ensure that the resulting velocity field is geodetically consistent and expressed in a well defined reference frame. We use this combined velocity field to discuss the present-day kinematics of the Caribbean plate and its margin in light of on and offshore mapping of active structures and recent tectonic models.