A method of superimposed triangulations for calculation of velocity gradient of horizontal movements: application to the Central Asian GPS network

This paper discusses the structure of a geologic medium represented by accessible lithified rocks and provides an overview of methods used to describe its movements. Two basic opinions are considered in the framework of the discussion: (1) an initially homogeneous and continuous geologic medium acquires the structure composed of blocks in the process of the geologic medium's deformation/destruction/degradation, and (2) a geologic medium is composed of blocks (and often has hierarchic, active, energy-saturated features), and the continuity model is thus not valid for describing the geologic medium's deformation. Proponents of the first point of view actively apply the standard or modified continuum model of a solid deformed body (SDB) in estimations of the stress-strain state, but the input parameters of this model do not contain any information on discreteness in principle. Authors who support the second opinion, either explicitly or implicitly assume that the block structure of the geologic medium, which is detectable by geological methods, makes a direct and unambiguous impact on all other mechanical properties of the geologic medium and, above all, on the nature of its movements.

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