Driving forces of the North American plate

 

By: Dan Weihrauch

 

Abstract:

          A major question that is present today in Geosciences deals with the mechanism of plate movement.  The idea of plate tectonics, developed in the 1960’s, set forth the basic framework of plate movement but left many questions.  In my seminar I wish to focus on the North American plate, and the dynamics of its movement.  There are two basic hypotheses or models of movement that are being investigated.  The first of these two models proposes that convecting mantle in contact with the base of the North American craton is moving the continent.  The second model of motion deals with thermal evolution of the oceanic lithosphere which results in ridge push forces.  The validity of these two models has been investigated through the interpretation of deformation within the North American plate. 

 

Fig. 1 Cross section of Earth showing dynamic processes involved in plate tectonics from http://www.solarviews.com/eng/earthint.htm

 

Fig. 2  Diagram A depicts a cartoon of the roots of the North American continent that is being moved by ridge push forces, and diagram B depicts the continent being moved by convective flow  (Bokelmann, 2002).

 

Fig. 3  Comparison of ridge torque (solid arrows) and absolute motion of plates (dashed arrows) from Richardson, 1992.

 

References Cited

 

 

Bokelmann, G.H.R., 2002, Convection-driven motion of the North American craton:

Evidence from P-wave anisotropy: Geophysical Journal Inernational, v. 148, p. 278-287.

 

Bokelmann, G.H.R., 2002, Which forces drive North America?: Geology, v. 30, p.1027-

1030.

 

Bokelmann, G.H.R., and P.G. Silver, 2002, Shear stress at the base of the lithosphere:

Geophysical Research Letters, v. 29, p. 1091-1095.

 

Forsyth, D.W., and Uyeda S., 1975, On the relative importance of driving forces of plate

motion: The Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 43, p. 163-200.

 

Richardson, R., 1991, North American plate dynamics: Journal of Geophysical Research, v.

96, p. 12,201-12,223.

 

Richardson, R., 1992, Ridge Forces, Absolute Plate Motions, and the Intraplate Stress Field:

Journal of Geophysical Research, v.  97, p. 11,739-11,748.