Apparent polar wander of the mean-lithosphere reference frame
Apparent polar wander in the mean-lithosphere (= no-net-rotation = no-net-torque uniform drag) reference frame is compared with apparent polar wander in the hotspot reference frame over the past 100 Myr. Palaeomagnetic poles and plate rotations previously used to determine an apparent polar wander p...
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Published in | Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 91; no. 3; pp. 1049 - 1057 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford, UK
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
01.12.1987
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Apparent polar wander in the mean-lithosphere (= no-net-rotation = no-net-torque uniform drag) reference frame is compared with apparent polar wander in the hotspot reference frame over the past 100 Myr. Palaeomagnetic poles and plate rotations previously used to determine an apparent polar wander path for the hotspot reference frame are here used to determine an apparent polar wander path in the mean-lithosphere reference frame. We find that the two paths are similar, especially for Late Cretaceous time, when a 10°–20° shift of the pole occurred. To first-order the hotspots and lithosphere (as a whole) moved in unison relative to the palaeomagnetic axis during Late Cretaceous time. A non-dipole field explanation for the apparent shift can probably be excluded. However, either motion of the time-averaged geomagnetic axis relative to the spin axis or polar wandering could have caused this shift, the latter being the more likely explanation. |
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Bibliography: | istex:ED1D43331DE527CAFDABD49DD1ECA0FD08B7A6CF ark:/67375/HXZ-R8X0TFTN-W |
ISSN: | 0956-540X 0016-8009 1365-246X |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1365-246X.1987.tb01679.x |