Velocity model for SIRGAS 2017: VEMOS2017

We provide a present-day continuous surface-kinematics model for the entire Latin American and Caribbean region (VEMOS2017). VEMOS2017 was derived from pointwise station velocities inferred at 515 geodetic sites from January 1, 2014 to January 28, 2017 using a geodetic least-squares collocation approach with empirically determined covariance functions. VEMOS2017 describes the present-day deformation in Latin America and the Caribbean and continues the surface-kinematics model represented by VEMOS2015, which is valid from March 14, 2010 to April 11, 2015 (see doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.863132). VEMOS2017 covers the region from 120°W, 55°S to 35°W, 32°N with a spatial resolution of 1° x 1°. The average uncertainty of VEMOS2017 is assessed to be ±1.0 mm/a in the north-south direction and ±1.7 mm/a in the east-west direction. The maximum uncertainty values (up to ±15 mm/a) occur at the zones affected by recent strong earthquakes (in the Maule area, the northern part of Chile, Ecuador and Costa Rica). The best uncertainty values (about ±0.1 mm/a) result in the stable eastern part of the South American plate