The Solid Earth

Chapter 2
Answers to selected questions

(1) (a)

B v D = B vC + C v D
2
B v D = 6 2 + 10 2 2 10cos(25)
B v D = 5.22
10 sin(25)
sin( ) =
5.22
o
= 126

(b)
A v J =A v B + B v J

At 3 cm per year in E - W direction, time taken to move 3000 km is
3000 10 3
= 10 8 a = 100 Ma
3 102

(Diagrams are sketches and are not exactly to scale.)

 (2) A v B =A v F + F v B

(Diagrams are sketches and not exactly to scale)

The B-F ridge approaches the trench eastwards at 0.8 cm per year. 2,200 km to the
trench will take 275 Ma.
Triple junction J approaches the northern trench at 4.2 cm per year. 1500 km takes
36 Ma when the last remnant of the Cooler plate is subducted in this region.

(3)
Lat Long Location Plate pair Azimuth Rate
(mm/yr)
54N 169E W. Aleutian Trench N Am - Pac 133 74
52N 169W E. Aleutian Trench N Am - Pac 145 68
38N 122W San Francisco - San N Am - Pac 146 46
Andreas Fault
26N 110W Gulf of California N Am - Pac 129 46
13S 112W East Pacific Rise Naz - Pac 103 143
36S 110W East Pacific Rise Pac - Ant 281 94
59S 150W Antarctic - Pacific Ridge Pac - Ant 303 71
45S 169E S. New Zealand Pac - Aus 248 35
55S 159E Macquarrie Island Pac - Aus 212 27
52S 140E Southeast Indian Ridge Aus - Ant 359 69
28S 74E Southeast Indian Ridge Aus - Ant 045 58
7N 60E Carlsberg Ridge Ind - Afr 032 26
22N 38E Red Sea Ar - Afr 012 10
55S 5E Southwest Indian Ridge Afr - Ant 043 14
52S 5E Mid-Atlantic Ridge Afr S Am 068 30
 9oN 40oW Mid-Atlantic Ridge Afr S Am 090 28
35oN 35oW Mid-Atlantic Ridge Afr N Am 104 21
66oN 18oW Iceland Eur N Am 105 18
36oN 8oW Gorringe Bank Afr - Eur 310 4
35oN 25oE E. Mediterranean Afr - Eur 353 9
12oS 120oE Java Trench Au Eur 017 76
35oN 72oE Himalayas Ind - Eur 003 42
35oS 74oW S. Chile Trench Naz S Am 079 80
4oS 82oW N. Peru Trench Naz S Am 082 70
20oN 106oW Middle America Trench Co N Am 034 41

(5)
p = 45, p = 0,
= 10-10 radians per year, R = 3400 km.

(a) subduction, strike-slip and ridge.

(b) Magnetic lineations between a and b, b and c.
(c) Use method of Sect. 2.4.2.
a: x = 0, x = 0
b: x = 0, x = 90
c: x = 0, x = 180
d: x = 0, x = -90

At a:
a = cos1 [cos( 45) cos(0)]
= cos1 [0.707]
= 45 o
cos( 45) sin(0)
C = sin1
sin( 45)
= 0o
= 90 o

 v = Rsin( a)
= 1010 3400 10 3 10 3 sin( 45)
= 0.24 mm a -1, azimuth 090, strike slip
At b:
a = cos1 [cos( 45) cos(0 + 90)]
= 90 o
cos( 45) sin(90)
C = sin1
sin(90)
= 45 o
= 45 o
v = Rsin( a)
= 1010 3400 10 3 10 3 sin(90)
= 0.34 mm a -1, azimuth 45, strike slip/extension
At c:
a = cos1 [cos( 45) cos(0 180)]
= 135 o
cos( 45) sin(180)
C = sin1
sin(135)
= 0o
= 90 o
v = Rsin( a)
= 0.24 mm a -1, azimuth 090, strike slip
At d:
a = cos1 [cos( 45) cos(0 + 90)]
= 90 o
cos( 45) sin(90)
C = sin1
sin(90)
= 45 o
= 135 o

v = Rsin( a)

= 0.34 mm a -1, azimuth 135, oblique subduction

(d)

(sketches only)
 Stable with hemispheric plates for all pole positions. Plates stay the
same size but are subducted along half of their margin and created
along the other half.

(6)
AB 3x10-9 radians a-1, 30N 0E
-9 -1
BC -6x10 radians a , 90N 0E
R=6000 km.

(a) Use method of Sect. 2.4.3.

A C = A B + B C

x AC = 6 109 cos(90) cos(0) + 3 109 cos( 30) cos(0)

= 2.6 109
y AC = 6 109 cos(90) sin(0) + 3 109 cos( 30) sin(0)
=0
zAC = 6 109 sin(90) + 3 109 sin( 30)
= 4.5 109
C = 2.6 2 + 4.5 2 109 = 5.2 109
A

pole position :
4.5 109
AC = sin1 9
= 60 = 60 o S
5.2 10
0
AC = tan1 = 0
2.6
(b) At b: X = 0, X = 90. B relative to A: = 030, v = 18 mm a-1
C relative to B: = 270, v = 36 mm a-1
C relative to A: = 300, v = 31 mm a-1

(not to scale)
bc would go through C if plate B is subducting beneath plate C.

At d: X = 0, X = 90.
B relative to A: = 150, v = 18 mm a-1
C relative to B: = 270, v = 36 mm a-1
C relative to A: = 240, v = 31 mm a-1

 (not to
scale)
Stable if plates B and C are subducting beneath A, or if plate A is
subducting between plates B and C.

Extension is taking place between

plates A and B and between plates A
and C at b. The magnetic stripes on
each plate are 78 km wide and strike
E-W.

Extension is also taking place

between plates B and C at d. The
magnetic stripes on each plate are
180 km wide and strike N-S.

Ridges: d to North Pole; between a and b, b and c.

Strike-slip: at a and c.
Subduction: North Pole to b; between c and d, d and a.

(8)

(Sketch)
Ridge half-spreading rates are 2.0 cm per year and 3.45 cm per year.
Triple junction moves at 3.9 cm per year at 275 relative to plate C.
(10)

(Sketch only)

(a) 11.6 cm per year

(b) 6 cm per year parallel to BvN
(e) (Sketches only, not to scale)

At A At B

(f)
BJN: 6 cm per year for 2 Ma, 120 km spacing,
1.6 cm per year for 2 Ma, 32 km spacing. (Sketch, not to scale)
(11) Similar to Q6.
AB = 0, AB = 90, AB = 3.82 107 deg per year
BC = 90, BC = 0, BC = 2.86 107 deg per year
(a)
x AC = ( 3.82cos(0) cos(90) + 2.86cos(90) cos(0)) 107
=0
y AC = ( 3.82cos(0) sin(90) + 2.86cos(90) sin(0)) 107
= 3.82 107
zAC = ( 3.82sin(0) + 2.86sin(90)) 107
= 2.86 107

A C = (3.82 2
+ 2.86 2 ) 107
= 4.77 107
2.86 o
AC = sin1 = 36.8
4.77
3.82 o
AC = sin1 = 90
0

(b) Magnetic lineations formed at ridge along equator between plates A and C
from 0 to 90W. Maximum spreading rate is 5 cm per year at 0N, 0W (the
triple junction) - spreading is oblique. On far side of planet the boundary
between plates A and C is a subduction zone with oblique subduction.
(c) The triple junction on the visible side of the planet is FFR, on the far side the
triple junction is FFT. See Fig. 2.16 for stability of triple junctions. The FFR
junction is not stable. The FFT junction will be stable if plate A is subducting
beneath plate C (since then ac and bc will be coincident).