A procedure for obtaining the complete horizontal motions within zones of distributed deformation from the inversion of strain rate data

We present a new method for obtaining relative horizontal motions on the surface of a sphere from strain rate data. Strain rates can be obtained from the summation of earthquake moment tensors or from estimates of Quaternary rates of deformation on major faults. The method is particularly useful for determining the kinematics within zones of distributed continental deformation, or any region where there is distributed strain. We demonstrate the method on a deforming part of Asia. Strain rates for the region were obtained from the summation of moment tensor elements of moderate and large-sized earthquakes in this century. Solutions, both velocity fields and rotation rates, are investigated as a function of polynomial smoothing and polynomial order. -from Authors