Correlation of Changes in Gravity, Elevation, and Strain in Southern California

Measurements made once or twice a year from 1977 through 1982 show large correlated changes in gravity, elevation, and strain in several southern California networks. Precise gravity surveys indicate changes of as much as 25 microgals between surveys 6 months apart. Repeated surveys show that annual elevation changes as large as 100 millimeters occur along baselines 40 to 100 kilometers long. Laser-ranging surveys reveal coherent changes in areal strain of 1 to 2 parts per million occurred over much of southern California during 1978 and 1979. Although the precision of these measuring systems has been questioned, the rather good agreement among them suggests that the observed changes reflect true crustal deformation.