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On the Relative Importance of the Driving Forces of Plate Motion
Open accessAbstract
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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“with the gravitational pull of subducting slabs now understood to be the dominant driving force for surface plate motion”
From Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth (2020) · cites this paper as Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975
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“In fact, the observational data by Forsyth and Uyeda (1975) are adequately informative although these data have not been fully appreciated.”
BackgroundContinental delamination: Insights from laboratory models
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Basin development subsequent to ridge-trench collision: the Jane Basin, Antarctica
Bohoyo, F., Galindo-Zaldı́var, J., Maldonado, A., Schreider, A. A., & Suriñach, E. (2002) · Marine Geophysical Research · doi:10.1023/b:mari.0000018194.18098.0d · Cited by 47
“The widening of the backarc basin by the oceanward migration of the forearc is related to the backarc basin ridge push or the trench suction due to sinking of the subducted plate (Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975).”
BackgroundTwo-dimensional mantle flow beneath a rigid accreting lithosphere
Parmentier, E. M., & Turcotte, D. L. (1978) · Physics of The Earth and Planetary Interiors · doi:10.1016/0031-9201(78)90025-0 · Cited by 47
Key geodynamic processes and driving forces of Tethyan evolution
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“Therefore, the slab pull is generally considered the main driving force of plate tectonics (Forsyth and Uyedaf, 1975; Chen et al., 2020).”
BackgroundTectonic Models for the Evolution of Sedimentary Basins
Cloetingh, S. A. P. L., Ziegler, P. A., Beekman, F., Burov, E. B., García‐Castellanos, D., & Matenco, L. C. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-53802-4.00117-2 · Cited by 46
Giambiagi, L., Tassara, A. O., Mescua, J., Tunik, M. A., Alvarez, P. P., Godoy, E., Hoke, G. D., Pinto, L., Spagnotto, S., Porras, H., et al. (2014) · Geological Society London Special Publications · doi:10.1144/sp399.14 · Cited by 48
“These driving forces are resisted by forces associated with mantle viscosity, slab bending around the outer-rise and interplate friction (Forsyth & Uyeda 1975; Heuret & Lallemand 2005; Lamb 2006; Iaffaldano & Bunge From: Sepúlveda, S. A., Giambiagi, L. B., Moreiras, S. M., Pinto, L., Tunik, M.,…”
BackgroundAccardo, N. J., Gaherty, J. B., Shillington, D. J., Ebinger, C. J., Nyblade, A. A., Mbogoni, G. J., Chindandali, P. R. N., Ferdinand, R. W., Mulibo, G. D., Kamihanda, G., et al. (2017) · Geophysical Journal International · doi:10.1093/gji/ggx133 · Cited by 46
The dynamic life of an oceanic plate
Crameri, F., Conrad, C. P., Montési, L. G. J., & Lithgow‐Bertelloni, C. (2018) · Tectonophysics · doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2018.03.016 · Cited by 47
“In addition, the lithospheric thickness gradient generates a ridge “push” that further drives extension at the preexisting axis (Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975).”
BackgroundInfluentialGeodynamic models of short-lived, long-lived and periodic flat slab subduction
Schellart, W. P., & Strak, V. (2021) · Geophysical Journal International · doi:10.1093/gji/ggab126 · Cited by 46
The role of buoyancy in the fate of ultra-high-pressure eclogite
Chapman, T., Clarke, G. L., & Daczko, N. R. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-56475-y · Cited by 44
Plate tectonics and surface environment: Role of the oceanic upper mantle
Korenaga, J. (2020) · Earth-Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103185 · Cited by 45
“The overemphasis on the significance of a low-viscosity layer may originate in the earlier days of the plate tectonics revolution, in which plates were considered to float above the mantle and be driven by mantle convection (e.g., Isacks et al., 1968; Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975).”
BackgroundParsons, A. J., Sigloch, K., & Hosseini, K. (2021) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2021gl094904 · Cited by 46
“Based on an understanding that slab-pull is the dominant force behind plate motions (Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975), we postulate that these kinematic changes occurred in response to the onset of Australian slab subduction.”
Dynamical modeling of trench retreat driven by the slab interaction with the mantle transition zone
Tagawa, M., Nakakuki, T., & Tajima, F. (2007) · Earth Planets and Space · doi:10.1186/bf03352678 · Cited by 46
On the dynamics of the Juan de Fuca plate
Govers, R., & Meijer, P. (2001) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/s0012-821x(01)00360-0 · Cited by 46
“Plate driving forces like ridge push and slab pull can be reasonably well estimated but magnitudes of the remaining forces are unknown and have to be solved by mechanically balancing the plate [30].”
BackgroundLenardic, A., & Kaula, W. M. (1996) · Geophysical Journal International · doi:10.1111/j.1365-246x.1996.tb04698.x · Cited by 46
Rabinowicz, M., Lago, B., & Froidevaux, C. (1980) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/jb085ib04p01839 · Cited by 46
Dynamics of the lithosphere and the intraplate stress field
Wortel, M. J. R., Remkes, M. J. N., Govers, R., Cloetingh, S. A. P. L., & Meijer, P. (1991) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series A Physical and Engineering Sciences · doi:10.1098/rsta.1991.0110 · Cited by 46
Analysis of states of stress between provinces of constant stress
McGarr, A. F. (1982) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/jb087ib11p09279 · Cited by 46
The mechanism of continental splitting
Bott, M. H. P. (1982) · Tectonophysics · doi:10.1016/0040-1951(82)90134-2 · Cited by 46
A note on lateral variation in upper mantle shear-wave velocity across the Alpine front
Rial, J. A., Grand, S. P., & Helmberger, D. V. (1984) · Geophysical Journal International · doi:10.1111/j.1365-246x.1984.tb02213.x · Cited by 46
Global kinematics in deep versus shallow hotspot reference frames
Cuffaro, M., & Doglioni, C. (2007) · Geological Society of America eBooks · doi:10.1130/2007.2430(18 · Cited by 45
Organization of the tectonic plates in the last 200 Myr
Morra, G., Seton, M., Quevedo, L., & Müller, R. D. (2013) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.04.020 · Cited by 45
Gravity above subduction zones and forces controlling plate motions
Krien, Y., & Fleitout, L. (2008) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2007jb005270 · Cited by 45
“What is the magnitude of the forces transmitted by the slab to the plates? Is it on the order of the slab excess weight [Conrad and Lithgow-Bertelloni, 2002], or is the slab mainly supported from below [ Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975 ]? Another question concerns a plausible net force in the same direction as that of the oce…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialCapitanio, F. A., & Morra, G. (2011) · Tectonophysics · doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2011.12.003 · Cited by 46
Metadata
- 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
- 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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