Hello all.
I have been watching this steep vs shallow, east vs west lithospheric
tidal drag model. It seems as though no one has mentioned in this
discussion that the present condition of these observations have not
always been steep or shallow. For instance the andies haven't always
been up during its present north south orientation, similar to the
west coast of the U.S. Come to think of it, Java and most of the
indonesian "system" is very complicated, and has been a special case
in plate motions for a long time. I can't pick out a drag model from
this region. So.. my feeling is that unless I am wrong about the
effect of the drag mechanism acting on all regions equally on a small
circle, the observations of subduction asymetry lead me to a
conclusion of sampling bias.
Do tides produce a flow of ocean water that chase the moon east to
west? I'm thinking that they don't. So why should the lithosphere?
In spirit of this list-serv,
I am not a doctor, nor do I want to be on T.V, I am a grad student in
geology, so feel free to school me.
Peter-
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Peter B. Davis
Department of Geosciences, Umass Amherst
http://www.geo.umass.edu/gradstud/davis/index.html
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