Project Summary
Despite more than 30 years of plate tectonics research, we still do not know exactly what drives the plates or controls the time-dependence of mantle convection. Plate motions are linked to processes in the deeper Earth interior by complex, enigmatic cause-and-effect relationships. While mantle convection is generally accepted as the underlying cause of plate motions, the geometry of mantle flow and its relation to plate motions remains poorly understood. As plate tectonics is the Earth Science paradigm, breakthroughs in this field affect understanding of all branches of Earth Science including formation and distribution of natural resources, long-term climate change and natural hazards. … Read more…
Earth and Planetary Science Letters – Testing absolute plate reference frames and the implications for the generation of geodynamic mantle heterogeneity structure
Shephard, G. E., Bunge, H. P., Schuberth, B. S., Müller, R. D., Talsma, A. S., Moder, C., & Landgrebe, T. C. W. (2012). Testing absolute plate reference frames and the implications for the generation of geodynamic mantle heterogeneity structure. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 317, 204-217. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.11.027. Download the paper – pdf
