Determination of mantle upwelling rate beneath Taiyuan basin by using absolute gravity, GPS, groundwater and GLDAS data

•We present the preliminary FG5, GPS, and groundwater measurement results at the Taiyuan station.•Absolute gravimetry at the Taiyuan station showed a clear gravity increase since 2009.•Continuous GPS measurements in the Taiyuan station showed a land subsidence since 2010.•Regional gravity changes computed from the GLDAS hydrological model are in agreement with the results derived from GRACE.•Residual gravity change rate reflects the mantle upwelling due to tectonic activity beneath the Taiyuan basin.

The Taiyuan basin is in the Shanxi rift system of China. Results of tectonic studies indicate that the Moho is uplifted by 2-3 km under the Taiyuan basin. However, there is no quantitative evidence showing whether the rift is still in the status of mantle upwelling. Herein, we estimated mantle upwelling rate of Taiyuan basin by using absolute gravity, GPS, groundwater and GLDAS data in this paper. In order to utilize the absolute gravity measurements in terms of tectonic study it is necessary to reduce all disturbing environmental effects. Many of those can be modeled, such as tide, polar motion, ocean tidal loading and atmospheric mass components. The Taiyuan station located in the Taiyuan basin, and absolute gravity measurements with a FG5 instrument were performed from 2009 to 2014, a secular trend was obtained. In-situ GPS data was used to estimate the vertical motion rate since 2011, and the result indicated a land subsidence. In-situ groundwater level was collected with daily surveys from 2009 to 2015, and local hydrology impact on effect was made. The global terrestrial water storage loading effect on gravity at Taiyuan station was computed by using GLDAS global hydrology model. Furthermore there is a good agreement between GRACE results and GLDAS hydrological model results. Subtracting the gravity change rate attributable to the land subsidence, groundwater level and global hydrology from the absolute gravity change rate, the residual gravity change rate was obtained. It reflects mantle upwelling about 2.1 ± 2.6 cm/yr beneath Taiyuan basin.