Assessment of Crustal Deformation in Earthquake Process: An Overview

Abstract

Crustal deformation involving displacements of Earth mass is an essential variable used in observing and modelling seismic activities. Various approaches especially the geodetic technique for measurement at a predetermined level of repetitions on the Earth is used to observe crustal deformation. The utilization of geodetic systems has significantly enhanced the manner by which crustal movement is being monitored and managed. An obvious indication is the reasonable level of accuracy, and the substantial spatiotemporal coverage achievable with the space-based technique. This paper is aimed at reviewing existing literature on the assessment of crustal deformation. First, an overview on crustal deformation is presented. This is followed by a review on instrumentation and techniques for crustal deformation assessment including Global Navigation Satellite Systems, remote sensing, and gravimetry. Finally, this review shows that geodesy in general and particularly space-enhanced techniques are characterized by improved capacity for detecting and monitoring crustal movements and deformation.