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Pacific-North American plate motion from very long baseline interferometry compared with motion inferred from magnetic anomalies, transform faults, and earthquake slip vectorsGeodetic VLBI measurements were used to test whether the Pacific-North American plate velocity averaged over several years of direct observation (1984-1987) equals that averaged over millions of years. It was also tested whether this velocity parallels the San Andreas fault, transform faults and earthquake slip vectors in the Gulf of California, and earthquake slip vectors along the Queen Charlotte fault, along the Alaskan peninsula, and along the Kamchatkan peninsula. The VLBI data provide an estimate of the direction of plate motion that is independent of estimates from fault azimuths and earthquake slip vectors. The Euler vector determined from VLBI was found to be nearly identical to the Euler vector of plate motion model NUVEL-1, which is based on the trends of transform faults, earthquake slip vectors, and spreading rates from marine magnetic anomalies that average motion since 3 Ma. The velocity between the Pacific and North American plates averaged over the past several years equals or nearly equals its velocity averaged over the past several million years, the difference along their boundary nowhere exceeding 4 + or - 7 mm/yr.
Document ID
19910025695
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Argus, Donald F.
(JPL, Pasadena, CA; Northwestern Universty Evanston, IL, United States)
Gordon, Richard G.
(Northwestern University Evanston, IL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
October 10, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 95
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
91A10318
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-885
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF EAR-87-21306
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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