NASA CSUN/JPL PAIR PROGRAM
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)
THEORY, DATA ANALYSIS, & MODELING
Dr. Gerry Simila
Department of Geological Sciences
Drs. C. Shubin & W. Horn
Department of Mathematics
1994 NORTHRIDGE EARTHQUAKE
 Magnitude
6.7
 Blind Thrust Fault (previously unknown)
 40 cm Vertical Uplift (north of CSUN)
 CSUN Damages = $350 million
 Most Costly Natural Disaster ($20+ billion)
 Catalyst for 250 GPS Network (SCIGN)
1994 Northridge Earthquake
CSUN Parking Structure
OBJECTIVES
Students are introduced to the basic concepts of GPS,
Plate Tectonics, and Earthquakes.
 Students will use several software packages for data
analysis: EXCEL, MATLAB, and JPL’s DISLOC &
GPS/GIPSY programs.
 Student’s will apply their knowledge to analyze and model
GPS data for earthquake displacements.
 Student’s learn about current GPS research project from
guest speakers – lecture series.

COURSE FORMAT
 Course
format was 12 days in duration.
 Class instruction/analysis was 6 hours/day.
 Lecture in the morning and data analysis in the
afternoon.
 Computer program instruction in afternoon lab.
CONTENT
 Week
1
 Week 2
 Week 3
WEEK 1

MORNING: 1) Plate Tectonics, Faulting, and Earthquakes
2) GPS Concepts (coordinate system, reference systems,
lat. & long., map scales); 3) GPS Measurements and Time
Series Analysis; 4) Introduction to Stress and Strain;
5) GPS and Northridge Earthquake; 6) Earthquakes,
Faulting, and Earthquake Double Couple Mechanism and
Seismic Moment; 7) Elastic Crack Fault Models of
Okada/ DISLOC (C. Shubin).
WEEK 1
 AFTERNOON: GPS Data Analysis (EXCEL);
JPL/SCIGN web site Exercise; NASA Mission
Mathematics (C. Shubin); Introduction to MATLAB;
Stress/ Strain Analysis (EXCEL)
 HOMEWORK: Mathematical exercises were assigned for
content topics on GPS, earthquakes, stress, and strain.
WEEK 2
MORNINGS: MATLAB and Finite Element Modeling
(W. Horn); Fault Modeling (DISLOC) and Tectonics; GPS
Analysis and GIPSY (Dr. Ken Hurst, JPL).
 AFTERNOONS: Software programs (MATLAB, GIPSY)
operations.
 HOMEWORK: GPS Analysis and Fault Modeling.

WEEK 3
 Student
Research Project: GPS data modeling for
the 1994 Northridge earthquake using MATLAB
and DISLOC.
 Student Presentations
 JPL tour
CHALLENGES
 Course
designed for science and math students
with varied majors and background courses.
 Synthesizing the content material for students.
 Time schedule for content and student project.
 Student enthusiasm for intensive course.
GPS COURSE IMPLEMENTATION
 Part
of GEOL 460 & 464 (Theoretical & Applied
Geophysics)
 Part of ES300 (Earth Science) Pre-service teachers
 Proposed GEOL 595-GP Special Topics