Global congruency test methods for GPS networks

The determination of the deformation of a geodetic network is an objective of the analysis of many geodetic deformation measurements. The deformation analysis is a step-by-step procedure, which begins with the global congruency test. If the coordinates of repeated measurements with its variance-covariance matrices of the coordinates and its datum are available, the question, if congruency between different epochs exists, arises. An alternative test procedure besides the conventional method for congruency investigations is proposed, and both methods' sample solutions are given in the Numerical Example section. The procedure is based on strain analysis. The conclusions about the benefit lack of both methods are discussed in the Conclusions section.