The primary objectives associated with the establishment of the SAGA network are:
- to measure and monitor the three-dimensional deformation along the Andean subduction zone and the adjacent deformation zones
- to measure the relative motion between the Nazca and South America plates and to assess to which extend the convergence is accommodated by different deformation processes
- to study the long-term tectonic deformation (e.g. mountain building, crustal shortening) in the light of the evolution and dynamics of the subduction process
- to monitor the three-dimensional deformation in two regions centered around the 1995 Antofagasta and the 1960 Chile earthquakes with the aim of determining the magnitude and the extent of the postseismic relaxation phenomena in order to enhance our knowledge of the rheological properties in the lower crust and the upper mantle
- to study the seismic cycle associated with subduction earthquakes and the implication for the regional seismic hazard assessment
- to contribute to a definition of a geodetic reference frame (also used in none-scientific applications, e.g. surveying and navigation)