scholarly journals Is plate tectonis withstanding the test of time?

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Shields
Keyword(s):  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
Seafloor Spreading ◽  
Plate Motion ◽  
Horizontal Plate ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Polar Wander ◽  
True Polar Wander ◽  
Constant Size ◽  
The Earth

Since the theory of plate tectonics was first proposed thirty years ago, some problems have arisen in its practical application. These call into question its fundamental assumptions of horizontal plate motion, hotspot fixity, true polar wander, Panthalassa, and the Earth’s constant size while leaving seafloor spreading and subduction intact. A rapidity expanding earth solves these problems and privides an alternative viewpoint worth reconsidering.

Reconstructing Ontong Java Nui: Implications for Pacific absolute plate motion, hotspot drift and true polar wander

2012 ◽  
Vol 331-332 ◽  
pp. 140-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Chandler ◽  
Paul Wessel ◽  
Brian Taylor ◽  
Maria Seton ◽  
Seung-Sep Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plate Motion ◽  
Polar Wander ◽  
True Polar Wander

Inverted South China: A novel configuration for Rodinia and its breakup

Geology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianqing Jing ◽  
David A.D. Evans ◽  
Zhenyu Yang ◽  
Yabo Tong ◽  
Yingchao Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China ◽  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
The South ◽  
Polar Wander ◽  
True Polar Wander ◽  
Apparent Polar Wander Path ◽  
Lower Member ◽  
New Interpretation ◽  
Global Data

Disentangling records of Rodinia fragmentation and true polar wander remains a challenge for understanding late Tonian plate tectonics. The ca. 760 Ma lower member of the Liántuó Formation, South China, yields a primary paleomagnetic remanence that passes both the fold and reversal tests. This new result and recently reported ca. 800 Ma data from elsewhere in South China suggest a new interpretation of its apparent polar wander path, whereby pre–770 Ma poles have inverted absolute polarity relative to traditional interpretations. Based on this inversion, and an interpretation of several oscillations of true polar wander documented by global data during 810–760 Ma, we propose a novel reconstruction for Rodinia and its breakup. Our reconstruction places the South China, India, and Kalahari cratons to the southwest of Laurentia, with connections that might have been established as early as ca. 1000 Ma. Our model also suggests that initial rifting of Rodinia occurred at ca. 800 Ma via fast northward motion of the India craton and South China.

True polar wander affects the Earth dynamic topography and favours a highly viscous lower mantle

1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Spada ◽  
Roberto Sabadini ◽  
Enzo Boschi
Keyword(s):  
Lower Mantle ◽  
Dynamic Topography ◽  
Polar Wander ◽  
True Polar Wander ◽  
The Earth

The integration of palaeomagnetism, the geological record and mantle tomography in the location of ancient continents

2017 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
TROND H. TORSVIK ◽  
L. ROBIN M. COCKS
Keyword(s):  
Plate Motion ◽  
Reconstruction Method ◽  
Zone Method ◽  
Polar Wander ◽  
Plate Motions ◽  
Generation Zone ◽  
True Polar Wander ◽  
Deep Mantle ◽  
Igneous Provinces ◽  
Geological Information

AbstractConstructing palaeogeographical maps is best achieved through the integration of data from hotspotting (since the Cretaceous), palaeomagnetism (including ocean-floor magnetic anomalies since the Jurassic), and the analysis of fossils and identification of their faunal and floral provinces; as well as a host of other geological information, not least the characters of the rocks themselves. Recently developed techniques now also allow us to determine more objectively the palaeolongitude of continents from the time of Pangaea onwards, which palaeomagnetism alone does not reveal. This together with new methods to estimate true polar wander have led to hybrid mantle plate motion frames that demonstrate that TUZO and JASON, two antipodal thermochemical piles in the deep mantle, have been stable for at least 300 Ma, and where deep plumes sourcing large igneous provinces and kimberlites are mostly derived from their margins. This remarkable observation has led to the plume generation zone reconstruction method which exploits the fundamental link between surface and deep mantle processes to allow determination of palaeolongitudes, unlocking a way forward in modelling absolute plate motions prior to the assembly of Pangaea. The plume generation zone method is a novel way to derive ‘absolute’ plate motions in a mantle reference frame before Pangaea, but the technique assumes that the margins of TUZO and JASON did not move much and that Earth was a degree-2 planet, as today.

New age constraints on the Ouarzazate Group (Morocco): implications on the hypothesis of True Polar Wander during the Ediacaran

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Robert ◽  
Fernando Corfu ◽  
Olivier Blein
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Polar Wander ◽  
True Polar Wander ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Large Spread ◽  
Good Consistency ◽  
Global Movement ◽  
Geochronological Constraints ◽  
Age Constraints

<p>The Ediacaran (635-541 Ma) is the last geological period of the Precambrian during which major changes occurred in the superficial layers of the Earth (biosphere, cryosphere, oceans, atmosphere). The paleomagnetic data from the main continents of this epoch display very fast polar wander excursions, which seemed to occur simultaneously on several continents. Two main competing hypotheses have been proposed in the literature to explain these data: (1) very fast True Polar Wander episodes (TPW), which represent the global movement of the mantle and the crust with respect to the Earth's spin axis, or (2) perturbations of the Earth’s magnetic field. On geological timescales, the TPW is speed-limited to some degrees per million years while magnetic field changes could be much faster (degrees per kyrs). The velocity of the polar wander excursions of the Ediacaran is therefore a critical parameter to distinguish these two families of solutions. The volcanic rocks of the Ouarzazate group (575-545 Ma) in the Anti-Atlas belt recorded a large polar wander excursion from ~571 to ~565 Ma, which is also observed in Laurentia and Baltica at about the same time. Because the age uncertainties are too high, the existing SHRIMP U-Pb ages obtained on zircons are not precise enough to distinguish these two hypotheses. In this study, we bring new high-precision CA ID-TIMS ages on zircons from seven tuff layers that recorded the rapid paleomagnetic variations. Our results show, in most of the samples, a large spread in age, indicating either the presence of inherited zircons or strong Pb loss in some of the zircons. Four of the samples display a good consistency in the zircon ages, and could represent the age of the tuff emplacement. In this presentation, we will discuss the two hypotheses based on these new geochronological constraints.</p>

Application of stratigraphic frameworks and thermochronological data on the Mesozoic SW Gondwana intraplate environment to retrieve the Paraná-Etendeka plume movement.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Krob ◽  
Ulrich A. Glasmacher ◽  
Hans-Peter Bunge ◽  
Anke M. Friedrich ◽  
Peter C. Hackspacher
Keyword(s):  
Mantle Plume ◽  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
Convective Motion ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Plate Motion ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Stratigraphic Framework ◽  
Sw Gondwana ◽  
Event Based

<p>Since plate tectonics has been linked to material flow in the Earth’s mantle, it is commonly accepted that convective motion in the sublithospheric mantle results in vertical deflections and horizontal plate motion on the Earth’s surface. Those mantle flow-driven vertical deflections are recognized through significant signals and traces in the sedimentary records (unconformities and missing sections). Recently, Friedrich et al. (2018) introduced an event-based plume stratigraphic framework that uses such signals in the stratigraphic record to detect the geological evolution near, and on the Earth’s surface in areas of interregional scale caused by mantle plume movement. Information about these dynamic processes is stored in geological archives, such as (1) stratigraphic records of sedimentary basins and (2) thermochronological data sets of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.</p><p>For the first time, this research combines these two geological archives and applies them to the Mesozoic SW Gondwana intraplate environment to retrieve the Paraná-Etendeka plume movement prior to the Paraná-Etendeka LIP. We compiled 18 stratigraphic records of the major continental and marine sedimentary basins and over 35 thermochronological data sets including >1300 apatite fission-track ages surrounding the Paraná-Etendeka Large Igneous Province to test the event-based plume stratigraphic framework and its plume stratigraphic mapping to retrieve the timing and spatial distribution of the Paraná-Etendeka plume.</p><p>The plume stratigraphic mapping, using the stratigraphic records is suitable to demark a possible plume center, plume margins and distal regions (Friedrich et al., 2018). Thermochronological data reveal centers of a significant thermal Paraná-Etendeka plume influence. Both archives show significant signals and traces of mantle plume movement well in advance of the flood basalt eruptions. Our LTT data combined with stratigraphic records are modeled successfully with respect to a viable mantle plume driven thermal evolution and therefore, we suggest that thermochronological data, in combination with stratigraphy records have the potential to retrieve the Paraná-Etendeka plume movement.</p>

Plate tectonics and Earth System Science

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dietmar Müller
Keyword(s):  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Plate Motion ◽  
Plate Boundaries ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Dynamic Topography ◽  
Lithospheric Deformation ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Plate Models ◽  
Reconstruction Software

<p>Over the last 25 years the theory of plate tectonics and a growing set of geo-databases have been used to develop global plate models with increasing sophistication, enabled by open-source plate reconstruction software, particularly GPlates. Today’s editable open-access community models include networks of evolving plate boundaries and deforming regions, reflecting the fact that tectonic plates are not always rigid. The theory of plate tectonics was originally developed primarily based on magnetic anomaly and fracture zone data from the ocean basins. As a consequence there has been a focus on applying plate tectonics to modelling the Jurassic to present-day evolution of the Earth based on the record of preserved seafloor, or only modelling the motions of continents at earlier times. Modern plate models are addressing this shortcoming with recently developed technologies built upon the pyGPlates python library, utilising evolving plate boundary topologies to reconstruct entirely destroyed seafloor for the entire Phanerozoic. Uncertainties in these reconstructions are large and can represented with end-member scenarios. These models are paving the way for a multitude of applications aimed at better understanding Earth system evolution, connecting surface processes with the Earth’s mantle via plate tectonics. These models allow us to address questions such as: What are the causes of major perturbations in the interplay between tectonic plate motion and Earth’s deep interior? How do lithospheric deformation, mantle convection driven dynamic topography and climate change together drive regional changes in erosion and sedimentation? How are major perturbations of the plate-mantle system connected to environmental change, biological extinctions and species radiation?</p>

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