Rotation of the Colorado Plateau: An updated analysis of paleomagnetic poles

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i010p01501· OSTI ID:5980840

Bryan, P; Gordon, R G ^[1]

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1. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (USA)

All available Jurassic, Triassic, and late Paleozoic paleomagnetic poles from the Colorado Plateau and stable North America are used to estimate the rotation of the Colorado Plateau relative to stable North America since Jurassic time. The paleomagnetic poles differ from those of a prior study (Bryan and Gordon, 1986) through the addition of seven recently published poles, the deletion of one pole, and the replacement of two others. The authors also improve on the prior analysis by omitting Cretaceous poles. From the systematic offset between plateau poles and stable North American poles they estimate rotation of the Colorado Plateau to be 5.0{degree} {sup +2.4{degree}}{sub {minus}2.3{degree}} (95% confidence limits) clockwise, {approximately}1{degree} larger than they found before. The null hypothesis of no systematic difference between plateau poles and stable North American poles can be rejected with a formally high level of confidence (99.99%). The hypothesis that the systematic differences between plateau and off-plateau poles is as large as 10{degree}, as proposed by several workers using fewer poles, can be rejected at an equally high level of confidence.

• OSTI ID: 5980840
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA) Vol. 17:10; ISSN GPRLA; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ACCURACY
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DATA ANALYSIS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
JURASSIC PERIOD
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETISM
MESOZOIC ERA
MOTION
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOMAGNETISM
PALEOZOIC ERA
ROTATION
TRIASSIC PERIOD