In 1998 the International Lithosphere Program (ILP) initiated a new project: 'A Global Strain Rate Map' (ILP II-8). The mission of the Global Strain Rate Map (GSRM) project is to determine a globally self-consistent strain rate and velocity field model, consistent with geodetic and geologic field observations. The overall mission also includes: (1) contributions of global, regional, and local models by individual researchers; (2) archive existing data sets of geologic, geodetic, and seismic information that can contribute toward a greater understanding of strain phenomena; and (3) archive existing methods for modeling strain rates and strain transients. A completed global strain rate map will provide a large amount of information that is vital for our understanding of continental dynamics and for the quantification of seismic hazards.

The current GSRM model is a digital model produced at SUNY, Stony Brook by C. Kreemer, W.E. Holt, and A.J. Haines. GSRM is a digital model of the global velocity gradient tensor field associated with the accommodation of present-day crustal motions.

Note: For the current (Jun 2013) GEM GSRM version, go to https://gsrm2.unavco.org.

After this Introduction, please visit the following pages:

Methodology
Data & References
Model Results & References
Acknowledgements

This website allows users to view and download sample maps of strain rates and velocity fields. Users can also use the Voyager: ILP GSRM map tool to create and view custom made maps of strain rates, velocity fields in specified frames of reference, vector data, etc. Users can create maps of GSRM results together with other data sets such as Harvard CMT, and stress directions from the World Stress Map. Users can download model results as well as some of the input data.

Users are kindly asked to give the following references when using or presenting results of the GSRM project. Users of the model results are asked to give credit to the second reference.

Kreemer, C, A.J. Haines, W.E. Holt, G. Blewitt, and D. Lavalée, On the determination of a global strain rate model, Earth Planets Space, 52, 765-770, 2000.

Kreemer, C., W.E. Holt, and A.J. Haines, An integrated global model of present-day plate motions and plate boundary deformation, Geophys. J. Int., 154, 8-34, 2003.

Comments or questions about this page? Send mail to Bill Holt.
(william.holtsunysb.edu or
wholtnotes.cc.sunysb.edu)