INTRAPLATE VS INTERPLATE TECTONICS: DELINEATING TECTONIC ACTIVITY BY UTILIZING A TECTONIC-BASED GIS
This study is focusing on determining the spatial extent from plate boundary tectonics through a transitional zone, to the intraplate tectonics of the continental craton. The plate boundary sites chosen are the NUVEL-1 locations (DeMets, et. al., 1990). These provide a common reference frame from the mid-oceanic ridge system. This has been done for each of the four primary study sites: (1) Aegean Archipelago, (2) Australia, (3) Central and Southern India, and the (4) St. Lawrence River. By ascertaining the tectonic activity of each study region, one may correlate the tectonic activity with other similar geological provinces. By spatially contouring the seismic epicenter distributions for each of the study sites, regions of active or increased intraplate tectonics can be identified. Further information of this intraplate tectonic study can be found on-line at: http://geodynamics.gsfc.nasa.gov/dtam/
References:
DeMets, C., Gordon, R.G., Argus, D.F., and Stein, S., "Current Plate Motions" Geophysical Journal International. v. 101, p 425-478. 1990.
Lowman, P., Yates, J., Masuoka, P., Montgomery, B., O'Leary, J., & Salisbury, D. "A Digital Tectonic Activity Map of the Earth" Journ. Geoscience Ed., vol. 47, no. 5, p.428-437. Nov. 1999.
Yates, J., Lowman, P., Masuoka, P., Montgomery, B., and Salisbury, D. "A Digital Tectonic and Volcanic Activity Map." GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 30, No. 7, Oct. 1998.