Apparent polar wander of the mean-lithosphere reference frame |
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Authors: | Richard G Gordon Roy A Livermore |
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Institution: | Department of Geological Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60201, USA;British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG |
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Abstract: | 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. Palaeo-magnetic 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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Keywords: | polar wander hotspots mean-lithosphere |
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