The initial objective was to initiate continuous GPS measurements in South Iceland to determine temporal variations in deformation rates.
In 1996, we reoriented our priorities to focus on interesting results uncovered since the beginning of the study in 1994:
i) the SAR-interferometry study was given higher priority than GPS, ii) we studied elevated seismic activity in the Hengill area, at the the western end of the South Iceland seismic zone (SISZ), relying on conventional GPS and levelling. New results on temporal variations in deformation rates in this part of the seismic zone have been interpreted and published.
Nonetheless, we have made some progress with continuous GPS measurements. One GPS instrument (Trimble 4000 SST) has been installed and operated in a semi-continuous mode near the center of the SISZ (station Saurbćr), since March 1997. Automatic transmission of the data through the SIL system has not yet been accomplished, rather the data is transported through the Internet.