CroninProjects.org/ Vince/ PlateKinematics/ KinematicsCourse/

A course on the kinematics of the lithosphere and continental crust

This course is taught by Professor Vince Cronin

Introduction

This course will consider the kinematics of the lithosphere and continental crust. My immediate goal is for all of the participants to be able to successfully perform a series of quantitative tasks related to plate/crustal kinematics. This will entail some vector math that includes matrix math. It is assumed that students have access to a computer (whether personal or Baylor-owned) that is connected to the web and that has a working copy of Mathematica version 11 or 12 and Microsoft Excel ± MatLab .

Dr. Cronin does not assume that students have math background in excess of the national standards for high school mathematics; however, this is an upper-level undergraduate-to-graduate science course, and science is a quantitative endeavor. Dr. Cronin will teach the basic math needed to do the work, and will demonstrate some Mathematica programming skills. Fuller development of Mathematica skills is up to each student, who can utilize publications and on-line tutorials/information produced by Wolfram Research ( https://www.wolfram.com/support/learn/ and https://www.wolfram.com/broadcast/screencasts/handsonstart/ ).

A number of university nerds have created online resources for learning about Mathematica including the following:
https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/ayg/CS590C/www/mathematica/math.html
https://www.math.harvard.edu/computing/math/tutorial/
https://www.thiel.edu/mathproject/mathematica/index.htm
https://help.unc.edu/817
and other resources that you can find by "googling" the words Mathematica tutorial .

In addition to demonstrating proficiency in generating correct answers using Mathematica code that they have written, students will be required to complete a study of an area (approved in advance) that incorporates the quantitative techniques developed in this course. A fuller discussion of grading will be provided in a future edition of this document.

This is not primarily intended to be a course on the history of the development of plate tectonics, which is a very interesting topic that is well covered in several of the references listed below. We will cover the most important early developments of plate kinematics, to supply historical context and to give credit where credit is due. It is also not meant to be a survey of current understanding of the tectonic context of plate boundaries worldwide. It is also not a course in geodynamics: the physics of the mechanisms of plate tectonics.

Order of Topics Taught in 2021 Course

February 2, 2021
- The original (incomplete) version of a primer on plate kinematics is available via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsPrimer/index.htm
- The handout with very basic references for our course: KinematicsReferences.docx
- A sample Mathematica notebook template for homework problems: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/YourName-HW00.nb
February 18, 2021 (near the end of the Little Ice Age of 2021)
- A Mathematica notebook template for homework problem 1: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/YourName-HW01.nb
- Assignment (HW01). Find the decimal latitude and longitude of some point on Earth's surface that is of interest to you, and use the Mathematica notebook template for homework problem 1 to determine the cartesian coordinates of the unit location vector to that point. Save the completed code, replacing the "YourName" part of the notebook title with your last name, and email the completed code to Vince_Cronin@baylor.edu.
  This assignment should be completed and submitted by around March 1.
- View the video "Kinematics-HW01.mov" on YouTube via https://youtu.be/3k_XP0UeCO8.
February 21, 2021
- Read the document https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Kinematics-Chapter-2.nb.pdf
- Use the Mathematica notebook template to complete homework problem 2: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/YourName-HW02.nb
- Assignment (HW02). In the early Miocene ~23 million years ago, a volcano erupted in California. Sometime later in the Miocene, the San Andreas fault propagated through the volcanic field, and separated it into what is now the Pinnacles National Monument (36° 29' 13"N, 121° 10' 01"W) on the west side of the fault and the Neenach volcanic field (34° 44' 24"N, 118° 37' 24"W) on the east side (Matthews, 1973).
  Write a Mathematica notebook that analyzes the input data to complete the following tasks.
  (a) Convert the given geographic coordinates to decimal geographic coordinates (see section 2.2.3).
  (b) Convert the decimal geographic coordinates to unit location vectors, recalling that south latitudes and west longitudes are negative numbers.
  (c) Determine the angular distance between the Pinnacles and Neenach (see section 2.2.9).
  (d) Find the circumferential distance between the Pinnacles and Neenach, assuming that Earth is a sphere of radius 6,371.01 km (see section 2.3.4).
  (e) What broad geological statement(s) can you make about the rate and magnitude of displacement along the San Andreas fault, based only on the information provided and your calculations?
  Save the completed code, replacing the "YourName" part of the notebook title with your last name, and email the completed code to Vince_Cronin@baylor.edu.
  This assignment should be completed and submitted by around March 7.
February 23, 2021
- Read the document https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Kinematics-Chapter-2.nb.pdf
- Read the paper by Bullard, Everett, and Smith (1965) that is available to you as a PDF file on your thumb drive.
- Use the Mathematica notebook template to complete homework problem 3: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/YourName-HW03.nb
- Assignment (HW03). Imagine yourself standing at Neenach in southern California (34° 44' 24"N, 118° 37' 24"W), and you want to know the direction of the shortest straight-line path to Pinnacles in west-central California (36° 29' 13"N, 121° 10' 01"W). The azimuth of a bearing is measured in a clockwise direction relative to true north. In a general sort of way, you could start by looking toward true north (90°N, 0°E) and slowly rotating clockwise while keeping track of your total rotation angle until you are looking directly toward Pinnacles (assuming you could see that far and over the curvature of Earth). If you could perform that angular measurement accurately, that total rotation angle would be the azimuth from Neenach to Pinnacles.
  Judging from the geographic coordinates of Neenach and Pinnacles, would you have to rotate clockwise less than or more than 180\[Degree] from true north to be looking along the shortest great-circle path to Pinnacles? You might want to sketch a map of the situation to form your judgement.
  Write a Mathematica notebook that analyzes the input data to complete the following tasks.
  (a) Convert the given geographic coordinates of Neenach and Pinnacles to decimal geographic coordinates (see section 2.2.3).
  (b) Convert the decimal geographic coordinates to unit location vectors(locVectNeenach and locVectPinnacles), recalling that south latitudes and west longitudes are negative numbers. For the location vector to the North Pole, define locVectNorthPole = {0,0,1}
  (c) Determine the dihedral angle between (1) the plane defined by the location vector to Neenach and the location vector to the North Pole, and (2) the plane defined by the location vector to Neenach and the location vector to Pinnacles (see section 2.2.9).
  (d) The dihedral angle you just determined is related in some quantitative way to the azimuth of the great-circle path from Neenach to Pinnacles. Conjure-up some spatial reasoning to determine that azimuth, and write a mathematical expression to indicate the relationship between the dihedral angle you computed and the azimuth in this case. For example,
  - azimuth = dihedral angle
  - azimuth = 360° – (dihedral angle)
  - azimuth = 180° + (dihedral angle) et cetera.
  This assignment should be completed and submitted by around March 10.
February 24, 2021 -- See the code GeogCartGeog.nb, accessible via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/GeogCartGeog.nb
February 28, 2021
1. Assignment (HW04): What is the azimuth from Neenach in southern California (34° 44' 24"N, 118° 37' 24"W) in the direction of the shortest straight-line path to Pinnacles in west-central California (36° 29' 13"N, 121° 10' 01"W). The azimuth of a bearing is measured in a clockwise direction relative to true north.
  Write a Mathematica notebook that analyzes the input data to complete the following tasks.
  (a) Convert the given geographic coordinates of Neenach and Pinnacles to decimal geographic coordinates (see section 2.2.3).
  (b) Convert the decimal geographic coordinates to unit location vectors (locVectNeenach and locVectPinnacles), recalling that south latitudes and west longitudes are negative numbers (see section 2.2.3).
  (c) Determine the circumferential distance of the shortest great-circle path from Neenach to Pinnacles (see section 2.3.4).
  (d) Determine the azimuth of the shortest great-circle path from Neenach to Pinnacles (see section 2.4.3).
  This assignment should be completed and submitted by around March 10.
  The template for this homework is available via YourName-HW04.nb
2. Revisions of the following documents are available for download. Please discard or "archive" the old versions and start using the new versions.
3. The following new documents are also available for download, cranial digestion, contemplation, and use
  - AzimuthModules.nb
  - YourName-HW04.nb
March 3, 2021
1. Read the document https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Kinematics-Chapter-3.nb.pdf
2. Assignment (HW05): The template for this homework is available via YourName-HW05.nb
  This assignment should be completed and submitted by around March 17.
March 7, 2021
1. Read the document https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Kinematics-Chapter-4.nb.pdf
2. Assignment (HW06): The template for this homework is available via YourName-HW06.nb
3. Assignment (HW07): The template for this homework is available via YourName-HW07.nb
  These assignments should be completed and submitted by around March 20.
March 14, 2021
1. Read and play with the Mathematica notebook TangentialVelocity.nb, revised on March 14 and accessible via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/TangentialVelocity.nb
2. Assignment (HW08): This homework is a direct extension from the information contained in the Mathematica notebook TangentialVelocity.nb as revised March 14 (see link above). The template for this homework is available via YourName-HW08.nb
3. The Kreemer, Blewitt, and Klein (2014) paper from G3 (A geodetic plate motion and Global Strain Rate Model) is on the thumb disk you were given early in the semester.
4. The supplemental table S2 from Kreemer et al (2014) recast in an Excel spreadsheet https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/KreemerEtAl2014TableS2.xls
  or in its original form https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/KreemerEtAl(2014)TableS2.html.
5. Read the old Chapter 5 of the Mathematica version of my kinematics primer:
  in PDF form or
  in Mathematica notebook form
6. Read and play with the Mathematica notebook TangVelGPS.nb, written on March 14 and accessible via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/TangVelGPS.nb
March 30, 2021
1. A good recent version of a relative plate-motion model is in supplementary table 2 from the paper by Kreemer, Blewitt, and Klein (2014). Another is the MORVEL model by DeMets et al (2010) as modified by Argus et al (2011).
2. A good recent version of a NNR reference frame is in supplementary table 2 from the paper by Kreemer, Blewitt, and Klein (2014): https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/KreemerEtAl2014TableS2.xls
3. A reasonable example of a hotspot reference frame is the paper by Alice Gripp and Richard Gordon (GrippGordon2002.pdf), which is based on the DeMets et al model NUVEL-1A.
4. An "accepted MS" prior to final copy editing from Jason Morgan and his son about the hotspot reference frame: MorganP4AcceptedMS.pdf
5. Code for finding the instantaneous angular velocity from one plate to another plate (where neither plate is the Pacific plate): https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/FindingAngVelVectors.nb
6. Code for the modules that handle circular rotation of a point around an arbitrary axis: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/CircularRotationModules.nb
7. Code for chapter 12 of my old kinematics textbook: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/KinematicsCh12.nb
April 1, 2021
1. The long-promised long-awaited link to the mapping app GeoMapApp is here! Actually, it is accessible via http://www.geomapapp.org. Look on the left side of the window to find the list of download links.
2. An explanation of how to export and import to a Mathematica notebook, how to adjust the number of dimensions (levels, layers) of a dataset, and how to reference specific elements in a dataset is accessible via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Exporting-Importing-and-Referencing-Data.nb
3. The part of Supplementary Table 2 from Kreemer et al. (2021) that we need is accessible as a png graphic at https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/TableS2-Original.png, or in its original form https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/KreemerEtAl(2014)TableS2.html.
4. The sample dataset for the notebook Cycloids.nb containing Peter Bird's (2003) boundary points along the Eurasia-North America plate boundary in Iceland is accessible via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/IcelandBoundaryBird2003.csv
5. The Cycloids.nb code, which takes an external CSV file of point location data expressed in geographic coordinates and uses the Kreemer et al (2014) NNR plate velocity model to model the position of the imported points at times other than the present, is accessible via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Cycloids.nb. This version exports results to external CSV files.
April 5, 2021
Measuring instantaneous crustal strain: Background on using GNSS/GPS data in plate kinematics and crustal deformation studies
1. A good online source of information about GPS technology and its use in geoscience is the UNAVCO Spotlight site accessible via https://spotlight.unavco.org
2. What can GPS tell us about future earthquakes? https://www.unavco.org/education/outreach/animations/Japan-vs-PacificNW_What-can-GPS-tell-us.mp4
3. Sendai/Tohoku-oki earthquake displacements using 1 Hz data (by Ronni Grapenthin): https://youtu.be/rMhhyb6Yy94
4. GPS as an essential component of Cascadia earthquake early warning: https://www.unavco.org/education/outreach/animations/GPSEarthquakeEarlyWarning.mp4
Measuring instantaneous crustal strain: Introduction
1. The primer on instantaneous strain in 1D, 2D, and 3D can be downloaded from https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS_Strain_Primer.pdf
2. Algorithm for triangle-strain analysis (revised April 2021): https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/TriangleStrainAlgorithm.pdf (.pdf, 767 kb)
3. The video showing the GPS strain analysis of three sites just west of Portland in Cascadia is on YouTube at https://youtu.be/gNGs7oW9aAU
4. The video showing a simple visualization of a GPS strain analysis is on YouTube at https://youtu.be/HGnr4dSE92I
5. Reminders
  1. Rigid-body deformation = translation + rotation
    - positive rotation is anti-clockwise (right-handed rotation)
  2. Non-rigid-body deformation = translation + rotation + volume strain (dilation) + distortion (change of shape)
    - positive rotation is anti-clockwise (right-handed rotation)
    - positive dilation is an increase in volume
6. Different triangle-strain scenarios: https://croninprojects.org/GETSI-EER2018/gps_triangle_strain_ellipse.pdf
Measuring instantaneous crustal strain: Tools
1. Video "How to find GPS velocity data from UNAVCO station overview pages": https://youtu.be/BYzCZh3RpyU
2. NOTA GNSS/GPS Stations Network Monitoring
  https://www.unavco.org/instrumentation/networks/status/nota/gps
3. Interactive PBO GPS network map: https://www.unavco.org/instrumentation/networks/status/pbo/gps
4. Nevada Geodetic Laboratory site to access GNSS/GPS data from stations worldwide: http://geodesy.unr.edu/NGLStationPages/gpsnetmap/GPSNetMap_MAG.html
5. Generic datasheet for velocity data from 3 GPS/GNSS sites: https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS-strain-datasheet.pdf (pdf file, 125.8 kb)
6. GPS strain Calculator in Mathematica: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/Geodesy/Calculators/gps-strain-calculator-mathematica.nb
7. How to interpret the strain calculator output: https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/explanation_gps_strain_calculator.v3.pdf (.pdf file)
8. Strain ellipse visualization tool ( https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/strain_ellipse_visualization_t.zip ), which requires a free copy of Wolfram CDF Player ( https://www.wolfram.com/cdf-player/ )
Measuring instantaneous crustal strain: Cookbook instructions for analysis of GNSS/GPS stations P146, P149, and P150, located near Stampede Reservoir (just north of Lake Tahoe)
1. Download a copy of the generic datasheet: https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS-strain-datasheet.pdf
2. Go to the NOTA GNSS/GPS Stations Network Monitoring site: https://www.unavco.org/instrumentation/networks/status/nota/gps
3. Either use the map or scroll through the table below the map to find Site P146, then click on the blue P146 link.
4. On the P146 - Overview/Station Page, find the box labeled "Station Data," then the item "Time Series Data," then click on the "NAM14_CSV" link to go to the CSV (comma separated values) file that lists data for P146 in the North American Datum of 2014.
  Note that there is a video titled "How to find GPS velocity data from UNAVCO station overview pages" that is accessible via https://youtu.be/BYzCZh3RpyU
5. In the 11th line from the top of the header of the CSV file -- the line that starts with "Reference position" -- find the latitude and longitude data and copy those coordinates onto your generic data sheet.
6. Return to the P146 - Overview/Station Page and locate the graphic under the heading "Station Position," and click on the graphic. It will expand into a full-size page. Use the navigation arrow on the right side of the window to get to the third page of time-series graphs -- the one that includes the velocity and standard deviation above each of the time-series graphs. Copy the north velocity and σ (standard deviation), and the east velocity and σ onto your generic data sheet.
7. Move on to the P149 and P 150 Overview/Station Pages. The easiest way is to change the last several characters in the URL of the P146 overview page. So, for example,
  https://www.unavco.org/instrumentation/networks/status/nota/overview/P146
  would be changed to
  https://www.unavco.org/instrumentation/networks/status/nota/overview/P149
  to allow you to access the P149 - Overview/Station Page.
8. When you have all of the input data recorded on your generic data sheet, open the GPS Strain Calculator in Mathematica and input your data. The Mathematica version is available at https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/Geodesy/Calculators/gps-strain-calculator-mathematica.nb.
9. After all of the new data is input to the strain calculator, it will generate results. Copy those results onto your generic data sheet, and work on trying to understand their meaning. (This might be of some help: https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/explanation_gps_strain_calculator.v3.pdf)
10. Compare your results with those of other students in this course. Identify and resolve any discrepancies, or ask for help.
April 20, 2021
Modeling Finite Motion Across Plate Boundaries
Excerpts from Chapter 13 of the draft primer on plate kinematics
1. Mathematica code https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/DraftCh13-PlateBoundary-Kinematics
2. Keynote presentation https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/1.PlateBoundaryKinematics.key
3. PDF of Keynote presentation https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/1.PlateBoundaryKinematics.pdf
Triple Junctions
Excerpts from Cronin (2020)
1. Publications
  - Cronin, V.S., 2021, Triple Junctions, in Alderton, D., and Elias, S.A., [editors], Encyclopedia of Geology [2nd ed.], v. 3: United Kingdom, Academic Press, p. 947-956.
  - Collins, R.M., 2019, Preliminary Kinematic Model of Afar Triple Junction, -22 Ma to 5 Ma: Bachelor of Science Thesis, Baylor University, 34 p., accessible via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/CollinsSignedBSThesis2019.pdf
2. Mathematica codes
  • Afar triple junction https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Modeling-Afar-2021.nb
  • Mendocino triple junction https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Modeling-Mendocino-2021.nb
  • Code from BS thesis by Ryley Collins: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/AfarTJ-22MyrTo5Myr.nb
  — — PDF of code from BS thesis by Ryley Collins: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/AfarTJ-22MyrTo5Myr.pdf
  • Code from BS thesis by Ryley Collins: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/AfarTJ-22MyrTo10Myr.nb
  — — PDF of code from BS thesis by Ryley Collins: https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/AfarTJ-22MyrTo10Myr.pdf
3. Keynote presentation https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/2.TripleJunctionKinematics.key
4. PDF of Keynote presentation https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/2.TripleJunctionKinematics.pdf
Instantaneous Relative Motion Along a Plate Boundary
from Collins and Cronin (2018)
1. Mathematica codes
  • Offset of isochrons on the North American Plate https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Isochron-TF-Offset-NOAM.nb
  • Offset of isochrons on the Nubian Plate https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Isochron-TF-Offset-Nubia.nb
  • Zonal-Meridional-Velocity Map https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Zonal-Meridional-Velocity-Map.nb
2. Keynote presentation https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/3.AngVelOfMidoceanRidges.key
3. PDF of Keynote presentation https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/3.AngVelOfMidoceanRidges.pdf
April 23, 2021
Angular velocity of mid-ocean ridges, and the changing length of ridge-ridge transform faults
1. Publication references
  - Cronin, V.S., 1992, Instantaneous velocity of mid-ocean ridges [abs.]: EOS (American Geophysical Union Transactions), v. 73, No. 14, p. 284.
  - Cronin, V.S., 1994, Instantaneous velocity of mid-ocean ridges: Tectonophysics, v. 230, p. 151-159.
  - Collins, R.M., and Cronin, V.S., 2018, The Length of Some (Perhaps All) R-R Transform Faults Changes Over Time. Why? American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2018, https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm18/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/416420
    • PDF of the final poster file: https://CroninProjects.org/Tectonics-AGU2018/CollinsCroninAGU2018-final.pdf
    • Associated resources on the web, including literature/data references for this work: https://croninprojects.org/Tectonics-AGU2018/index.htm
2. Mathematica codes
  - This code uses offset marine magnetic anomalies to determine the length of a transform fault at the time of the anomaly boundary. This particular code was used to find the length of Atlantis transform fault on the North American Plate at the younger boundary of anomaly C13n. https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Isochron-TF-Offset-NOAM.nb (November 2018)
    • https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Atlantis_C13n-y-NOAM-N.xlsx
    • https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Atlantis_C13n-y-NOAM-S.xlsx
  - This code uses offset marine magnetic anomalies to determine the length of a transform fault at the time of the anomaly boundary. This particular code was used to find the length of Atlantis transform fault on the Nubian Plate at the younger boundary of anomaly C13n. https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Isochron-TF-Offset-Nubia.nb (November 2018)
    • https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Atlantis_C13n-y-Nubia-N.xlsx
    • https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Atlantis_C13n-y-Nubia-S.xlsx
  - https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Zonal-Meridional-Velocity-Map.nb (November 2018, April 2021)
3. Presentation file:
  • Keynote file https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/AngVelOfMidoceanRidges.key
  • PDF file https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/AngVelOfMidoceanRidges.pdf
Modeling the long-wavelength shape of oceanic fracture zones
1. Publication references
  - Cronin, V.S., 1988, Cycloid tectonics: Fracture zones as flow lines of transform faults [abs.]: EOS (American Geophysical Union Transactions), v. 69, p. 1415.
2. Mathematica codes
3. Presentation file
  • Keynote file https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Oceanic-Fracture-Zones2021.key
  • PDF file https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsCourse/Oceanic-Fracture-Zones2021.pdf

Draft textbook: A primer on the kinematics of the lithosphere and continental crust

The draft textbook is available via https://CroninProjects.org/Vince/PlateKinematics/KinematicsPrimer/

Some Important Papers from First-Gen Plate Tectonics

Hill, M.L., and Dibblee, T.W., Jr., 1953, San Andreas, Garlock and Big Pine Faults, California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 64, p. 443-458.
Hess, H.H., 1962, History of ocean basins, in Engel, A.E.J., James, H.L., and Leonard, B.F., editors, Petrological studies: A volume in honor of A.F. Buddington, p. 599-620.
Wilson, J.T., 1962, Cabot fault: an Appalachian equivalent of the San Andreas and Great Glen faults and some implications for continental displacement: Nature, v. 198, p. 925-929.
Wilson, J.T., 1963a, Hypothesis of Earth's behavior: Nature, v. 198, p. 925-929.
Wilson, J.T., 1963b, Continental drift: Scientific American, v. 208, p. 86-100.
Wilson, J.T., 1965a, Evidence from ocean islands suggesting movement in the Earth, in Blackett, P.M.S., Bullard, E.C., and Runcorn, S.K., [editors], A symposium on continental drift: Philosophical Transactions, Royal Society of London, series A., v. 258, p. 145-167.
Wilson, J.T., 1965b, A new class of faults and their bearing on continental drift: Nature, v. 207, p. 343-347.
Bullard, E.C., Everett, J.E., and Smith, A.G., 1965, The fit of the continents around the Atlantic, in Blackett, P.M.S., Bullard, E.C., and Runcorn, S.K., [editors], A symposium on continental drift: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London, series A, v. 258, p. 41-51.
Compare this with Moulin, M., Aslanian, D., and Unternehr, P., 2010, A new starting point for the South and Equatorial Atlantic Ocean: Earth-Science Reviews, v. 98, p. 1-37, doi: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.08.001
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Morgan, W.J., 1968, Rises, trenches, great faults, and crustal blocks: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 73, p. 1959-1982.
McKenzie, D.P., and Parker, R.L., 1967, The north Pacific -- An example of tectonics on a sphere: Nature, v. 216, p. 1276-1280.
Le Pichon, X., 1968, Sea-floor spreading and continental drift: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 73, p. 3661-3697.
Le Pichon, X., 1970, Correction to paper by Xavier Le Pichon "Sea-floor spreading and continental drift": Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 75, p. 2793.
Heirtzler, J.R., Dickson, G.O., Herron, E.M., Pitman, W.C., III, and Le Pichon, X., 1968, Marine magnetic anomalies, geomagnetic field reversals, and motions of the ocean floor and continents: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 73, no. 6, p. 2119-2136.
Isacks, B., Oliver, J., and Sykes, L.R., 1968, Seismology and the new global tectonics: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 73, p. 5855-5899.
McKenzie, D., and Sclater, J.G., 1971, The evolution of the Indian Ocean since the Late Cretaceous: Geophysical Journal, Royal Astronomical Society, v. 25, p. 437-528.
Chase, C.G., 1972, The n-plate problem of plate tectonics: Geophysical Journal, Royal Astronomical Society, v. 29, p. 117-122.

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Sullivan, W., 1991, Continents in motion -- the new Earth debate [second edition]: New York, American Institute of Physics, 430 p., ISBN 0-88318-704-3.
Sykes, L.R., 1967, Mechanism of earthquakes and nature of faulting on the mid-ocean ridges: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 72, p. 2131-2153.
Takeuchi, H., Uyeda, S., and Kanamori, H., 1970, Debate about the Earth -- Approach to geophysics through analysis of continental drift [revised edition]: San Francisco, Freeman Cooper & Company, 281 p.
Taylor, G., and Blewitt, G., 2006, Intelligent positioning, GIS-GPS unification; Chapter 2, GPS -- an introduction: John Wiley and Sons, p. 25-65
Torsvik, T.H., Müller, R.D., Van der Voo, R., Steinberger, B., and Gaina, C., 2008, Global plate motion frames: toward a unified model: Reviews of Geophysics, v. 46, RG3004, doi: 10.1029/2007RG000227.
Torsvik, T.H., Steinberger, B, Gurnis, M., and Gaina, C., 2010, Plate tectonics and net lithosphere rotation over the past 150 My: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 291, p. 106-112.
Uyeda, S., The new view of the Earth: San Francisco, California, W.H. Freeman and Company, 217 p., ISBN 0-7167-0282-7.
Vacquier, V., 1959, Measurement of horizontal displacement along faults in the ocean floor: Nature, v. 183, p. 452-453.
Vacquier, V., 1962, Magnetic evidence for horizontal displacements in the floor of the Pacific Ocean, in Runcorn, S.K., [editor], Continental Drift: New York, Academic Press, p. 135-144.
Vacquier, V., 1965, in Blackett, P.M.S., Bullard, E.C., and Runcorn, S.K., [editors], A symposium on continental drift: Philosophical Transactions, Royal Society of London, series A., v. 258, p. 77-81.
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Wang, S., and Wang, R., 2001, Current plate velocities relative to hotspots: implications for hotspot motion, mantle viscosity and global reference frame: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 189, p. 133-140.
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Wood, R.M., 1985, The dark side of the Earth: London, Allen & Unwin, 246 p., ISBN 0-04-550048-7.
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Overviews, compilations and textbooks of tectonics and whole-Earth structure

Anderson, D.L., 2007, New theory of the Earth: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 384 p., ISBN 0-521-84959-4.
Bird, J.M., editor, 1980, Plate tectonics [second enlarged edition]: Washington, D.C., American Geophysical Union, 986 p.
Condie, K.C., 2005, Earth as an evolving planetary system: Amsterdam, Elsevier, 447 p., ISBN 0-12-088392-9.
Cox, A., editor, 1973, Plate tectonics and geomagnetic reversals: San Francisco, W.H. Freeman and Company, 702 p.
Cox, A., and Hart, R.B., 1986, Plate tectonics -- how it works: Palo Alto, California, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 392 p., ISBN 0-86542-313-X.
Frische, W., Meschede, M, and Blakey, R., 2011, Plate tectonics, continental drift and mountain building: Heidelberg, Springer, 212 p., ISBN 978-3-540-6503-5.
Kearey, P., Klepeis, K.A., and Vine, F.J., 2009, Global tectonics [3rd edition]: West Sussex, UK, Wiley-Blackwell, 482 p., ISBN 978-1-4051-0777-8.
Le Pichon, X., Francheteau, J., and Bonnin, J., 1973, Plate tectonics: Amsterdam, Elsevier, Developments in Geotectonics 6, 300 p., ISBN 0-444-41094-5.
Moores, E.M., and Twiss, R.J., 1995, Tectonics: New York, W.H. Freeman and Company, 415 p., ISBN 0-7167-2437-5.
Searle, R., 2013, Mid-ocean ridges: Cambridge University Press, 318 p., ISBN 978-1-107-01752-8.

Some references concerning the early history of plate tectonics and continental drift.

Glen, W., 1982, The road to Jaramillo -- Critical years of the revolution in Earth science: Stanford, California, Stanford University Press, 459 p., ISBN 0-8047-1119-4.
Oreskes, N., editor, 2001, Plate tectonics, an insider's history of the modern theory of the Earth: Boulder, Colorado, Westview Press, 424 p., ISBN 0-8133-3981-2.
Sullivan, W., 1991, Continents in motion -- the new Earth debate [second edition]: New York, American Institute of Physics, 430 p., ISBN 0-88318-704-3.
Takeuchi, H., Uyeda, S., and Kanamori, H., 1970, Debate about the Earth -- Approach to geophysics through analysis of continental drift [revised edition]: San Francisco, Freeman Cooper & Company, 281 p.
Uyeda, S., 1978, The new view of the Earth: San Francisco, California, W.H. Freeman and Company, 217 p., ISBN 0-7167-0282-7.
Wood, R.M., 1985, The dark side of the Earth: London, Allen & Unwin, 246 p., ISBN 0-04-550048-7.

Other Resources

Chris Scotese's PALEOMAP Project ( http://www.scotese.com ) has long provided excellent resources related to plate kinematics and the evolution of the plate system over time. His software, animations and illustrations have been used by many researchers and textbook authors, and in countless classrooms from grammar schools to graduate schools.
Dietmar Müller and his research associates have been working to improve our knowledge and understanding of oceanic tectonics for decades. His GPlates software is a free/open-source application that includes a wealth of primary data. It can be accessed via http://www.gplates.org . Subscribing to the associated email list ( https://mailman.sydney.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/gplates-announce ) allows you to be notified of updates to the software. His group also has a quarterly newsletter ( http://www.earthbyte.org/Newsletter_index.html and an interactive potential field data reconstruction site ( http://portal.gplates.org ) that allows you to interactively reconstruct either gravity or magnetic raster data: http://portal.gplates.org/cesium/?view=VGG-R and http://portal.gplates.org/cesium/?view=EMAG2 .

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