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Cited by 795earthquake and tectonic studiesGeological and Geophysical StudiesGeological and Geophysical Studies Worldwide

Numerical Modelling of Instantaneous Plate Tectonics

Minster, J. B., Jordan, T. H., Molnar, P., Haines, E.·1974·Geophysical Journal International
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1974.tb00613.x
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Abstract

Assuming lithospheric plates to be rigid, we systematically invert 68 spreading rates, 62 fracture zones trends and 106 earthquake slip vectors simultaneously to obtain a self-consistent model of instantaneous relative motions for eleven major plates. The inverse problem is linearized and solved iteratively by a maximum likelihood procedure. Because the uncertainties in the data are small, Gaussian statistics are shown to be adequate. The use of a linear theory permits (1) the calculation of the uncertainties in the various angular velocity vectors caused by uncertainties in the data, and (2) quantitative examination of the distribution of information within the data set. The existence of a self-consistent model satisfying all the data is strong justification of the rigid plate assumption. Slow movement between North and South America is shown to be resolvable. We then invert the trends of 20 linear island chains and aseismic ridges under the assumptions that they represent the directions of plate motions over a set of hot spots fixed with respect to each other. We conclude that these hot spots have had no significant relative motions in the last 10 My.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1974.tb00613.x

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  • In a three-dimensional model of relative angular velocities, plates without attached slabs lie close to each other in angular velocity space and are joined by short vectors, whereas the Indian, Pacific and Nasca vertices are distant from each other and from the other major plates.

    “If a three-dimensional model of the relative angular velocities between the major plates is constructed from the values given by Chase (1972) or by Minster et al. (1974), plates without slabs attached lie close to each other in anguIar veIocity space and are joined by short vectors, whereas the Indian, Pacific and Nasca vertices are all distant from both each other and the other major plates (McK”

    From Speculations on the Thermal and Tectonic History of the Earth (2007) · cites this paper as Minster et al. (1974)

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Authors
Minster, J. B., Jordan, T. H., Molnar, P., & Haines, E.
Affiliations
  • California Institute of Technology (US)
  • Princeton University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Geophysical Journal International
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
1974-03-01
Volume
36
Issue
3
Pages
541-576
ISSN
  • 0956-540X (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-246X
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-246x.1974.tb00613.x
OpenAlex
W2097800673
Cited by
795
References
106
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
FWCI
52.38
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Geophysical Journal International (publishedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › earthquake and tectonic studies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geology › Geological and Geophysical Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geophysical Studies Worldwide
Keywords
spreading rate, maximum likelihood inversion, linear inversion, island chains, aseismic ridges, hot spots, plate velocity

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