Closing the global plate circuit: High resolution reconstructions of African plate motion from 0 to 20 Ma

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The most dramatic geologic events - such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - occur along the margins of the mosaic of plates that cover the surface of the Earth, and are a consequence of plate motions. Plate motions also affect mountain building, sea level, and climate. Hence, unraveling the history of plate motions is a matter of considerable importance for understanding much of the Earth?s history. The objective of this research is to use newly-available Russian data from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to develop detailed models of motions between the India, Eurasia, Nubia (West Africa) North America, and Pacific Plates over the last 20 million years. With their improved spatial and temporal resolution, these models will be useful to a broad cross section of the science community who seek linkages between plate motions, continental tectonics, and climate; they will also provide a framework for understanding the evolution of western North America, the Himalaya, and the Alps. The program will also continue an established international collaboration between U.S. and Russian scientists.