First Epoch GPS and Gravity Measurements in La Palma, Canary Islands

This paper describes a collaborative GPS- and gravity project to determine the recent crustal movements of the island of La Palma. Special emphasis is placed on the uplift associated with recent processes of volcanism. La Palma is a key area for a better understanding of the nature of the ongoing volcanic activity in the western part of the Canarian archipelago. The region under investigation is one of the most volcanically active islands of the archipelago and has, therefore, created recently a high level of concern about hazard. The project involves the Volcanological Station of the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (CSIC), Tenerife (Canary Islands) and the ETH Zurich, Switzerland. GPS and high precision gravitiy measurements have been performed to assess the expected uplift. The analysis of these data is presented and discussed in this report.