GPS technology is becoming more commonly used to determine accurate positions in navigation and surveying but can also be used to study the motion and deformation of the Earth's crust.

If the position of a station is determined to sub-centimeter accuracy, the motion of this station may be seen relative to a global reference frame after only a few years.

Crustal motions may be due to plate tectonics but in the high latitudes, they may also be due to the effects of changes in ice-loading in response to climate variations.

Understanding he response of the Earth's crust to ice-loading or unloading, glacial isostatic adjustment, is important as it allows scientists to use geological and geomorphological methods to learn about previous glacial and interglacial periods in the Earth's history, including the very recent past. This information is combined with atmospheric and oceanographic data to form a more complete picture of interactions between major Earth systems.

An example project which uses GPS data is the study of Horizontal station velocities from the SCAR GPS network. During the POLENET GPS campaigns of the IPY 2007-2008, the vertical motion and deformation across key regions of the Arctic and Antarctic will be determined.

An example project which combines GPS and seismic data is the study of Joint Seismological and Geodetic Observations on David Glacier, South Victoria Land, Antarctica.

Please see the field deployments page for more information on POLENET field campaigns.