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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“The concept that “slab pull” is important in driving plate motions (e.g., Elsasser, 1969; Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975; Richter and McKenzie, 1978; Hager and O’Connell, 1981) is not compatible with flow confined to an upper mantle of viscosity 10” P.”
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“The subduction of negatively buoyant slabs constitutes the primary driving force of plate tectonics (e.g. Jacoby 1973; Forsyth & Uyeda 1975).”
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“…I O N Plate motion is likely primarily driven by slab pull, the concentration of negative buoyancy from subducted oceanic plates at convergent margins (Forsyth & Uyeda 1975; Chapple & Tullis 1977), while other driving forces, including ridge push and traction at the base of plates, also contribute.”
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“enters the mantle and the net force experienced by the horizontal plate is quite small (Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975).”
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“The main driving force for plate motion appears to come from the negative buoyancy of subducting slabs, as evident in the correlation between the fraction of subduction zone boundary per plate, and the plate’s velocity (Forsyth and Uyeda, 1975).”
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Subduction initiation of the Neo-Tethys oceanic lithosphere by collision‐induced subduction transference
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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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