Global apparent polar wander paths in a hot spot reference frame
- Univ. of Texas, Arlington, TX (United States). Dept. of Geology
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. Geological Sciences
Paleomagnetic data provide the basis for plate tectonic reconstructions, especially for the Early mesozoic and Paleozoic. Nevertheless, paleomagnetic pole positions indicate only paleolatitudes of lithospheric blocks without any longitudinal control. If paleomagnetic data, however, are combined with plate motions predicted by the trajectory of hot spot tracks, it is possible to constrain both the latitudinal and longitudinal motion. Global apparent polar wander (GAPW) paths were calculated back to Devonian time (400 Ma), using the paleomagnetic pole summary of Van der Voo (1992) and the global plate tectonic model of the PALEOMAP Project. Only poles with reliability factor not less than 3 were used in the analysis. Individual paleomagnetic poles were rotated in the reference frames of North America, Europe, Siberia, Africa, india, and Australia, and mean poles were calculated at 10 million year intervals. The best results (alpha 95 = 5[degree]) were obtained for Early and Middle Permian. Good results (alpha 95 = 7[degree]) were obtained Early tertiary, Cretaceous, triassic and the Late Carboniferous. Global mean poles for the Early Carboniferous and Early and Middle Jurassic grouped poorly (alpha 95 = 9[degree]). The worst results were obtained for the Devonian (alpha 95 = 11[degree]) and Late Jurassic (alpha 95 = 15[degree]). As a final step, in order to combine the paleomagnetic information with the motions predicted from the hot spot trajectories, stage poles were calculated that fit both the improved GAWP paths and the trajectory of intraplate volcanic chains.
- OSTI ID:
- 5973540
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-921058-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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