## 5 Discussion and Conclusions  
The overall synthesis of the results gives a broader perspective on the North Aegean's geodynamic and seismotectonic setting. However, to optimise the visualisation of the combined strain parameters, we used the well-established kriging interpolation method for the MaxSS and the AS parameters, which practically reflect the MaHE and MiHE results. This method effectively distributes parameter values across the study area seamlessly, while highlighting the concentrations of extreme values and neutral-transition areas. These neutral-transition areas are important for tectonic interpretation, as they indicate transitions between different tectonic regimes. Hence, the interpolated results highlighted new aspects in the geodynamic evolution of the study area. What strikes us the most is the intensely fast deforming area in the central part of the Strymon basin, where significant MaxSS and AS values are documented; the other area with high values is the NAT region as expected. In addition, quite high values (but distinctively lower than those above) characterize the NAB and CAT regions. The deformation rate of the Strymon basin region exceeds the NAT is opposed to the results of other previous studies [43; 45; 49], according to which the NAT strain dominates in the broader northern Aegean. Although there is no doubt that the NAT is the dominant and most tectonically active structure of the broader North Aegean region, the higher values of the Strymon basin can be explained in many ways. At first, the long recording time period, i.e., seven years (2008-2014), can catch possible variations of the deformation rate; hence, during this long period, the Strymon basin might have shown more intense deformation compared to the NAT. Secondly, the seismological data suggest that seismic activity in the northern Greek mainland during the instrumentally recorded period and, especially, the very recent one could be considered as poor (Figure 2); however, few strong historic events have occurred. The NAT, as a very large, multi-segmented fault zone, exhibits frequent seismicity in all magnitudes up to approximately M\({}_{\rm w}\)7. Therefore, the energy is possibly released less frequently in northern Greece, waiting for the accumulated deformation and,hence, stress to reach their highest threshold before rupturing towards a characteristic earthquake. This could also explain the long earthquake recurrence intervals in this area. From a methodological point of view, it is obvious that no barycentres have been defined within the narrow area of the NAT and the eastern part of the NAB. A denser GPS/GNSS network and, hence, denser triangles and barycentres could have shown even higher values of deformation in these particularly active areas. Regarding the geodynamic and, in particular, the kinematics implications for the North Aegean, the MaxSS and AS syntheses indicate a transtensional regime for the Strymon basin. This area might be under the effect of the transcurrent NAT, as the CAT is to the south, forming a quasi-pull-apart basin with NW-SE-striking oblique-slip marginal faults. The NAT region shows high MaxSS values and, consequently, similarly high dilatation and compaction values (compaction slightly exceeds dilatation), implying a transgression regime. In the NAB region, dilation becomes more dominant with much lower compaction; the MaxSS values are notable, and therefore it is concluded that the NAB undergoes E to W almost progressive transtension, shaping the trapezoidal basin with, respectively, progressively changing strike-slip to quasi-pure dip-slip normal faulting. The same pattern continues into the central Greek mainland (i.e., the Thessalian basin); however, the intensity of deformation is much lower. Finally, the coexistence of high dilatation and compaction values in the CAT region (dilatation exceeds compaction) and remarkable MaxSS values indicate transtensional strike-slip faulting.