Optimal design of the Sermo Fault deformation monitoring network using sensitivity criteria based on geological information

The Sermo Reservoir is located in Kulon Progo District, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It plays a vital role in providing water to its surrounding communities. According to the geological structure of this area, a fault exists near the Ngrancah River and passes through the reservoir’s inundation. At present, a network consists of 15 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) monitoring stations spread around the Sermo Fault to monitor its deformation. However, this network was designed without consideration of geological parameters. This study aimed to design an optimal deformation monitoring network of the Sermo Fault by taking into account geological information and evaluate the existing network, specifically, the optimal distance for the station to the fault plane. Geological surveys were carried out to obtain information regarding the type and characteristics of the fault. This information was used as one of the parameters in the optimization design, using sensitivity criteria, of a network to monitor for the optimal distance between the observation station and fault. Using the strike-slip fault model, the optimal distance obtained was from 4.5 to 8.5 km from the fault plane. The existing stations of the Sermo Fault deformation monitoring network are about 0.07–3.3 km away from the fault. Therefore, the network is insufficiently sensitive and needs to be developed by adding stations that are more than 4.5 km away from the fault. This study designed an alternative network by rearranging the stations’ location to obtain a better configuration and sensitivity. © 2021, The Author(s).