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GY305
Physics of Tectonic Plate Motions
Global Positioning Systems
Earth’s Magnetic Field
Radiometric Decay & Age Determinations
Uplift Rates
Earth’s Gravity Field
Earth’s Heat Flow
Kinematic Physics of Deformation
Tectonic Plates
2 Criteria
Composition (i.e. mineralogy and geochemistry)
Seismic (mechanical behavior)
Depth Thick Layer
7-50km Basalt (3.0) Diorite (2.7)
Crust
2900km
5100km
1300km Inner core Ni-Fe Alloy (13)
6400km
Depth Thick Layer
70-150km Brittle
Lithosphere
2900km
5100km
1300km Inner core Brittle
6400km
Primary plates
These seven plates comprise the bulk of the Earth’s
Lithosphere:
Pacific Ocean.
African Plate
Antarctic Plate
Eurasian Plate
Indo-Australian Plate
North American Plate
Pacific Plate
South American Plate
• Vectors are proportional to plate spreading velocity
• Note that the Pacific is spreading much faster than the Atlantic
GPS-determined Absolute Plate Motion Rates
• Convection Cells in the Mantle
• Note that “Slab Pull” is due to older denser ocean
lithosphere
Seismic Activity is confined mainly
to plate boundaries
Paleomagnetic “stripes”
generated by sea floor
spreading
Phanerozoic Plate Motions
Plate Motion on the Earth Spheroid
BVC
Plate Motion on the Sphere of the Earth
• 2 plates always move relative to each other relative to a pole of rotation
• Transform boundaries are the “small circles” of the plate motion
• The angular velocity (w) is constant but the linear velocity of relative plate
motion increases from 0 at pole to a max. at 90 degrees to the pole of
rotation
• Transform boundaries are
small circle paths relative to
rotation pole
• On a Mercator projection the
transforms are parallel to
latitude lines
• Stereographic Projections may be used to track plate motions
relative to rotation pole
Implications of Plate Boundary
Interactions
Absolute Plate Motions