Collaborative Research: Tests of the Rigid Plate Hypothesis and a Revised Global Model for Geologically Instantaneous Plate Motions

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

9903763Gordon The investigators propose to develop an improved model of geologically instantaneous plate motions that will change estimated velocities in some regions more than the published confidence limits. The new model will lead to a significantly different set of angular velocities that will have a higher degree of self-consistency than do the NUVEL-1A angular velocities and will eliminate several sources of systematic error that are now understood. The team will use the new and existing data to test the rigid plate hypothesis and to estimate upper and lower bounds on plate non-rigidity. The new set of angular velocities will provide a new standard for comparison with ongoing GPS and other geodetic observations at a tiny fraction of the cost of such observations.