In this paper, observation data in 25 GPS reference stations of China have been analyzed by calculating GPS position coordinate time-series with GIPSY. Result shows there is an obvious trend variation in such time-series. The trend variations of time series along the longitude and latitude coordinate reflect the motion of each position in the global-plate, in which the trend variation in the vertical direction reveals some large-scale construction information or reflects the local movement around the positions. The analysis also shows that such time-series have a variation cycle of nearly 1.02 a, but the reason still remains to be further studied. At the end of this paper, response of the time-series to MS=8.1 Kunlunshan earthquake was analyzed, and the seismogenic process of MS=8.1 Kunlunshan earthquake, according to the time proceeding and the feature of anomaly, was divided into 3 phases-changes in blocks with forces, strain accumulation, quick accumulation and slow release of energy. At the initial stage of seismogenic process of MS=8.1 earthquake and at the imminent earthquake, coseismic process as well as during the post earthquake recovery, anomaly in vertical direction is always in a majority. The anomalous movement in vertical direction at the initial stage resulted in a blocking between faults, while at the middle stage of seismogenic process, the differential movement between blocks are in a majority, which is the major reason causing energy accumulating at the blocking stage of faults.
Assuming that the contemporary tectonic activity in China can be treated as continuous, we have simulated 1245 present-day multiple-epoch GPS velocity solutions in the range of Chinese mainland, Mongolia, Myanma, India, Nepal and Himalayas with a bi-cubic spline interpolation function to inverse the integral horizontal velocity with the fitting accuracy less than 3 mm and obtained the strain rate fields in Chinese mainland. We have also analyzed the characteristics of spatial distribution of horizontal deformation and strain rate fields in Chinese mainland. The result shows that the analysis on the continuous deformation in the large-scale and dense GPS velocity fields can reveal not only the integral tectonic characters of Chinese mainland but also the tectonic characters in local regions. Generally, the magnitude and intensity of horizontal tectonic deformation have a mutation in the South-North Seismic Belt (95°E-102°E), which is stronger in the west than the east and stronger in the south than the north. Large strain rates are found in the areas as Kunlun block, Xianshuihe fault zone and central Yunnan, and the variation of velocity is very rapid. At the same time, the tectonic activity is relatively calm on Altyn Tagh fault zone, and extensive strain is found in the eastern part of central Tianshan.
