Cited by 1,673earthquake and tectonic studiesGeological and Geophysical StudiesHigh-pressure geophysics and materials

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On the Relative Importance of the Driving Forces of Plate Motion

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Forsyth, D., Uyeda, S.·1975·Geophysical Journal International

DOI 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1975.tb00631.x

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Abstract

A number of possible mechanisms have recently been proposed for driving the motions of the lithospheric plates, such as pushing from mid-ocean ridges, pulling by downgoing slabs, suction toward trenches, and coupling of the plates to flow in the mantle. We advance a new observational method of testing these theories of the driving mechanism. Our basic approach is to solve the inverse problem of determining the relative strength of the plausible driving forces, given the observed motions and geometries of the lithospheric plates. Since the inertia of the plates is negligible, each plate must be in dynamic equilibrium, so that the sum of the torques acting on a plate must be zero. Thus, our problem is to determine the relative sizes of the forces that minimize the components of net torque on each plate. The results indicate that the forces acting on the downgoing slab control the velocity of the oceanic plates and are an order of magnitude stronger than any other force. Namely, all the oceanic plates attached to substantial amounts of downgoing slabs move with a ‘terminal velocity’ at which the gravitational body force pulling the slabs downward is nearly balanced with the resistance acting on the slab; regardless of the other features of the trailing horizontal part of the plates. The drag on the bottom of the plates which resist motion is stronger under the continents than under the oceans.

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Stockmal, G. S. (1983) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/jb088ib10p08271 · Cited by 114
Current kinematics and dynamics of Africa and the East African Rift System
Stamps, D. S., Flesch, L. M., Calais, E., & Ghosh, A. (2014) · Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth · doi:10.1002/2013jb010717 · Cited by 113
Gravitational potential energy of the Tibetan Plateau and the forces driving the Indian plate
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“Although the sources of stress that drive plate motions have been ascribed to many parameters (Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975), from the point of view of stress continuity and force balance, the stresses that drive lithospheric motion arise from two sources: (1) gravity acting on density variations within…”
Background
Magnetic Anomalies in the West Philippine Basin
Louden, K. E. (2011) · Geophysical monograph · doi:10.1029/gm019p0253 · Cited by 113
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“Several authors have estimated that the tectonic forces likely to be available for rifting are in the range of 3–5× 1012 N m−1 (Forsyth & Uyeda 1975; Solomon et al .”
Background
Tectonic Evolution of the Terrestrial Planets
Senski, D. G., & Solomon, S. C. (2002) · NASA Technical Reports Server (NASA) · Cited by 112
Isostasy and the ambient state of stress in the oceanic lithosphere
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Subduction of oceanic lithosphere in the Alps: Selective and archetypal from (slow-spreading) oceans
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Subduction initiation from the earliest stages to self-sustained subduction: Insights from the analysis of 70 Cenozoic sites
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A plate-tectonic speed limit?
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The rates of plate creation and consumption
Parsons, B. E. (1981) · Geophysical Journal International · doi:10.1111/j.1365-246x.1981.tb02759.x · Cited by 110
A boundary layer model for mantle convection with surface plates
Olson, P. L., & Corcos, G. M. (1980) · Geophysical Journal International · doi:10.1111/j.1365-246x.1980.tb04851.x · Cited by 110
Formation of discrete islands in linear island chains
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“6.3. ‘‘Confined’’ and ‘‘Opened’’ Subduction Channel [47] The main driving mechanisms of subduction are ridge ‘‘push’’ and slab ‘‘pull’’ [e.g., Uyeda and Forsyth, 1975 ], which are both present in our numerical models.”
Influential
Present-day stress field of Southeast Asia
Tingay, M. R., Morley, C. K., King, R., Hillis, R. R., Coblentz, D. D., & Hall, R. (2009) · Tectonophysics · doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2009.06.019 · Cited by 108
“…that the first-order intraplate stress field is primarily the result of forces generated at plate boundaries, most importantly mid-ocean ridge ‘push’, subducting slab ‘pull’, trench ‘suction’ and resistance due to continental collision (Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975; Zoback, 1992; Reynolds et al., 2002).”
Background
North American Plate Dynamics
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Mid‐Cretaceous to early Tertiary apparent polar wander path of the Pacific Plate
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Ablative subduction: A two-sided alternative to the conventional subduction model
Tao, W. C., & O'connell, R. J. (1992) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth · doi:10.1029/91jb02422 · Cited by 107

Authors: Forsyth, D., & Uyeda, S.
Affiliations: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (US)
ORCID: Forsyth, D.
Venue: Geophysical Journal International
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 1975-10-01
Volume: 43
Issue: 1
Pages: 163-200
ISSN: 0956-540X (ISSN-L)
1365-246X
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1975.tb00631.x
OpenAlex: W2011893217
Cited by: 1,673
References: 86
Citations by year: 2026: 33 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 78 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 66 · 2020: 82 · 2019: 52 · 2018: 73 · 2017: 60 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 50 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 37
FWCI: 23.95
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Locations: Geophysical Journal International (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Science Foundation
Office of Naval Research (N00014)
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 › High-pressure geophysics and materials
Keywords: plate motion, plate driving forces, slab pull, inverse problems, plate tectonics

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On the Relative Importance of the Driving Forces of Plate Motion

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