Geologically current motion of 56 plates relative to the no-net-rotation reference frame

Abstract

[1] NNR-MORVEL56, which is a set of angular velocities of 56 plates relative to the unique reference frame in which there is no net rotation of the lithosphere, is determined. The relative angular velocities of 25 plates constitute the MORVEL set of geologically current relative plate angular velocities; the relative angular velocities of the other 31 plates are adapted from Bird (2003). NNR-MORVEL, a set of angular velocities of the 25 MORVEL plates relative to the no-net rotation reference frame, is also determined. Incorporating the 31 plates from Bird (2003), which constitute 2.8% of Earth's surface, changes the angular velocities of the MORVEL plates in the no-net-rotation frame only insignificantly, but provides a more complete description of globally distributed deformation and strain rate. NNR-MORVEL56 differs significantly from, and improves upon, NNR-NUVEL1A, our prior set of angular velocities of the plates relative to the no-net-rotation reference frame, partly due to differences in angular velocity at two essential links of the MORVEL plate circuit, Antarctica-Pacific and Nubia-Antarctica, and partly due to differences in the angular velocities of the Philippine Sea, Nazca, and Cocos plates relative to the Pacific plate. For example, the NNR-MORVEL56 Pacific angular velocity differs from the NNR-NUVEL1A angular velocity by a vector of length 0.039 ± 0.011°a −1 (95% confidence limits), resulting in a root-mean-square difference in velocity of 2.8 mm a −1. All 56 plates in NNR-MORVEL56 move significantly relative to the no-net-rotation reference frame with rotation rates ranging from 0.107°a −1 to 51.569°a −1.Components: 6300 words, 5 figures, 5 tables.

Campo de deformación cortical actual de la Península Ibérica estimado a partir de medidas GPS

“…In general, as expected, the calculated deformation rates are low, since the convergence rate between the Eurasia and Africa (or Nubia) plates is also relatively slow, ranging between 5 and 6 mm/yr (e.g. Argus et al, 2011). Vol.…”

“…Eurasia fixed reference frame with 68 % confidence error ellipses. Big arrow shows a convergence velocity between Nubia and Eurasia according to (Argus et al, 2011). Abbreviations of faults in bold letters:: CrF-Crevillente fault; AMF-Alhama de Murcia fault; PFPalomares fault; CF-Carboneras fault; AFZ-Alpujarras fault zone; Vol.…”

The damage is done: Low fault friction recorded in the damage zone of the shallow Japan Trench décollement

“…The Japan Trench is a convergent margin where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate in the direction N62°W at a rate of~85 mm/yr [Apel et al, 2006;DeMets et al, 2010;Argus et al, 2011]. The margin has historically hosted high rates of seismic activity, notably 18 M w 7 or larger earthquakes in the past 400 years [e.g., Kanamori et al, 2006;Hashimoto et al, 2009], not including the 2011 M w 9.0 Tohoku-oki event and its aftershocks.…”

Investigation of Changes of the Kinematic Parameters of Antarctic Tectonic Plate Using Data Observations of Permanent GNSS Stations

“…The precision of the angular velocity determination is two orders less than the velocity values, and precision of stations velocities determination equals to about 1 mm/year. Figure 8 shows the positions of Euler poles, determined as average for the period (1996 -2014) in this paper, and other papers (Drewes, 1998(Drewes, , 2001(Drewes, , 2009Argus, 1991Argus, , 2011SOPAC, 2016;Altamimi, 2012;Dietrich, 2001Dietrich, , 2004Sella, 2002;Jiang WeiPing, 2009). …”