The History and Dynamics of Global Plate Motions

About this book

The new global tectonics that emerged three decades ago profoundly changed our view of the Earth and its evolution. Although the theory of plate tectonics gives a kinematic description of much of Earth's surface motions, our dynamical understanding remains incomplete and unsatisfactory in many ways. Key remaining issues include the mechanics of plate boundaries and intraplate deformation, the relation between plate-scale dynamics and hotspot volcanism, vertical surface motions (dynamic topography) associated with subduction, and the origin of the plate-tectonic style of convection itself. The past two decades have seen fairly steady progress on a number of these problems, spurred in large part by the advent of 3-D seismic imaging of the Earth's interior. More recently, advances in high performance computing have provided long-needed 3-D geodynamic modeling tools that are yielding new insights into the relation between mantle convection and plate tectonics, and the interpretation of seismic heterogeneity structure.

Contents

Preface
      Mark A. Richards, Richard G. Gordon, and Rob D. van der Hilst vii
Introduction: Plate Tectonics and Mantle Convection Three Decades Later
      Mark A. Richards, Richard G. Gordon, and Rob D. van der Hilst 1

Section 1: Convection, Rheology, and Plates
The Relation Between Mantle Dynamics and Plate Tectonics: A Primer
      David Bercovici, Yanick Ricard, and Mark A. Richards 5
The Quest for Self-Consistent Generation of Plate Tectonics in Mantle Convection Models
      Paul J. Tackley 47
On the Competing Roles of Fault Reactivation and Brittle Failure in Generating Plate Tectonics from Mantle Convection
      Michael Gurnis, Shijie Zhong, and John Toth 73

Section 2: Continental Dynamics and Intraplate Deformation
What the Mantle Sees: The Effects of Continents on Mantle Heat Flow
      A. Lenardic, L Guillou-Frottier, J.-C. Mareschal, G. Jaupart, L.-N. Moresi, and W. M. Kaula 95
On the Determination of Self-Consistent Strain Rate Fields Within Zones of Distributed Continental Deformation
      William E. Holt, Bingming Shen-Tu, John Haines, and James Jackson 113
Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries: Strain Rates, Vertically Averaged Rheology, and Comparisons with Narrow Plate Boundaries and Stable Plate Interiors
      Richard G. Gordon 143

Section 3: Tectonics and Dynamics of the Australian Region
Mesozoic/Cenozoic Tectonic Events Around Australia
      R. Dietmar Muller, Carmen Gaina, Anahita Tikku, Dona Mihut, Steven C. Cande, and Joann M. Stock 161
Absolute Plate Motion, Mantle Flow, and Volcanism at the Boundary Between the Pacific and Indian Ocean Mantle Domains Since 90 Ma
      Carmen Gaina, R. Dietmar Muller, and Steven C. Cande 189
Models of Mantle Convection Incorporating Plate Tectonics: The Australian Region Since the Cretaceous
      Michael Gurnis, Louis Moresi, and R. Dietmar Muller 211

Section 4: Seismic Tomography and Global Mantle Flow
Mapping the Lithosphere and Asthenosphere With Surface Waves: Lateral Structure and Anisotropy
      Goran Ekstrom 239
A Comparison Between Tomographic and Geodynamic Models of the Earth's Mantle
      Charles Megnin and Barbara Romanowicz 257
Constraints on Mantle Convection From Seismic Tomography
      Hrafnkell Karason and Rob D. van der Hilst 277
Mantle Convection and Plate Motion History: Toward General Circulation Models
      Mark A. Richards, Hans-Peter Bunge, and Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni 289

Section 5: Hotspots and Plate Motions
Large Igneous Provinces and Plate Tectonics
      Olav Eld holm and Millard F. Coffin 309
Recent Progress on the Plate Motion Relative to Hotspots
      Yasushi Harada and Yozo Hamano 327
Global Hotspot Reference Frames and Plate Motion
      Ian O. Norton 339
Fast Paleogene Motion of the Pacific Hotspots From Revised Global Plate Circuit Constraints
      Carol A. Raymond, Joann M. Stock, and Steven C. Cande 359
Effects of Mantle Flow on Hotspot Motion
      Bern hard Steinberger and Richard J. O'Connell 377

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