All,
The reason I questioned the idea is that "pole flight" (migration toward
the equators) was one of the driving forces imagined by Wegener for
continental drift. As I understand it, subsequent evaluation of the forces
involved led to a rejection of this as a significant factor. We need to
hear from geodynamists on this topic.
eric
That is very interesting and not something I'd thought of before. If the
>Earth's rotation affects the atmosphere why shouldn't it affect the
>behaviour of the mantle as well? In advance of any hard data one way or the
>other, it seems a reasonable hypothesis that there should be some influence.
>
>Roger Musson
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: John Milsom [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 01 June 2001 21:24
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Plate tectonics
>
>
>There IS an asymmetry. East facing subduction zones (western Pacific,
>Caribbean, Scotia) seem to have a tendency to migrate outwards
>('roll-back'). West facing zones (Pacific coasts of the Americas) seem to
>be locked to their continental margins. First working hypothesis would be
>that the asymmetry in the Earth's rotation (it goes one way, not the other)
>has something to do with it.
Eric Essene
Professor of Geology
Department of Geological Sciences
2534 C.C. Little Bldg.
425 E. University Ave.
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor MI 48109-1063 USA
fx: 734-763-4690
ph: 734-764-8243
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