Abstract
Combinations of global plate reconstructions reveal average velocities for the last 50 to 65 million years of 10 to 20 mm yr−1 between the Hawaiian hotspot and those beneath Iceland, Tristan da Cunha, Réunion, St. Paul's Island, and Kerguelen. Therefore hotspots do not define a fixed reference frame. Uncertainties in these reconstructions are less than the errors incurred by assuming fixed hotspots and less than the differences among various proposed frames of reference of fixed hotspots1–3.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Morgan, W. J. in The Sea Vol. 7 The Oceanic Lithosphere (ed. Emiliani, C.) 443 (Wiley, New York, 1981).
Morgan, W. J. Tectonophysics 94, 123 (1983).
Duncan, R. A. Tectonophysics 74, 29, (1981).
Morgan, W. J. Nature 230, 42 (1971).
Morgan, W. J. Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 132, 7 (1973).
Wilson, J. T. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A258, 145 (1965).
Minster, J. B., Jordan, T. H., Molnar, P. & Haines, E. Geophys, J. R. astr. Soc. 36, 541 (1974).
Minster, J. B. & Jordan, T. H. J. geophys. Res. 83, 5331 (1978).
Burke, K. C. A., Kidd, W. S. F. & Wilson, J. T. Nature 245, 133 (1973).
Molnar, P. & Francheteau, J. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 43, 763 (1975).
Molnar, P. & Atwater, T. Nature 246, 288 (1973).
Stock, J. M. & Molnar, P. Nature 325, 495 (1987).
Berggren, W. A., Kent, D. V., Flynn, J. J. & van Couvering, J. A. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 96, 1407 (1985).
Kent, D. V. & Gradstein, F. M. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 96, 1419 (1985).
Molnar, P., Pardo-Casas, F. & Stock, J. Basin Research (submitted).
Pardo-Casas, F. & Molnar, P. Tectonics (in the press).
Klitgord, K. D. & Schouten, H. in The Geology of North America: The Western North Atlantic Region (eds Tucholke, B. E. & Vogt, P. R.) 351 (Geol. Soc. Am. DNAG Series 1, Vol. M, Boulder, Col. USA, 1986).
Stock, J. M. & Molnar, P. Geology 11, 697 (1983).
Molnar, P. & Stock, J. M. J. geophys. Res. 90, 12537 (1985).
Fitzgerald, P. G., Sandiford, M., Barrett, P. J. & Gleadow, A. J. W. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 81, 67 (1986).
Duncan, R. A. & Clague, D. A. in The Ocean Basins and Margins Vol. 7A, The Pacific Ocean (eds Nairn, A. E. M. & Stedhli, F. G.) (New York, Plenum, 1985).
Clague, D. A. & Jarrard, R. D. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 84, 1135 (1973).
Bott, M. H. P. in Implications of Continental Drift to the Earth Sciences (eds Tarling D. H. & Runcorn, S. K.) 175 (London, Academic, 1973).
Beckinsale, R. D., Brooks, K. C. & Rex, D. C. Bull. geol. Soc. Denmark, 20, 27 (1970).
Noe-Nygaard, A. in The Ocean Basins and Margins Vol. 2 The North Atlantic (eds Nairn, A. E. M. & Stehli, F. G.) 391 (New York, Plenum, 1974).
Hamilton, E. I. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 1, 30 (1966).
Shipboard Scientific Party in Init. Rep. Deep Sea Drilling Project Vol. XXXIX, 373 (1977).
Fodor, R. V., Keil, K., Husler, J. W. & McKee, E. H. in Init. Rep. Deep Sea Drilling Project Vol. XXXIX, 525 (1977).
Shipboard Scientific Party, in Init. Rep. Deep Sea Drilling Project Vol. LXXIV, 41 (1984).
Wellman, P. & McElhinny, M. W. Nature 227, 595 (1970).
Luyendyk, B. P. & Rennick, W. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1347 (1977).
Sclater, J. G. et al. in Init., Rep Deep Sea Drilling Project Vol. XXII, 815 (1974).
Kharin, G. N. et al. in Init. Rep. Deep Sea Drilling Project Vol. XXXVIII, 755 (1976).
Clague, D. A. & Dalrymple, G. B. in The Geology of North America: The Eastern Pacific Region DNAG Ser. 1, Vol. N (eds Hussong, D. M., Winterer, E. L. & Decker, R. W.) (Geol. Soc. Am., in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Molnar, P., Stock, J. Relative motions of hotspots in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans since late Cretaceous time. Nature 327, 587–591 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/327587a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/327587a0
This article is cited by
-
Progress in the numerical modeling of mantle plumes
Science China Earth Sciences (2023)
-
Northward drift of the Azores plume in the Earth’s mantle
Nature Communications (2019)
-
Hotspot motion caused the Hawaiian-Emperor Bend and LLSVPs are not fixed
Nature Communications (2019)
-
Pacific plate motion change caused the Hawaiian-Emperor Bend
Nature Communications (2017)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
