Plate kinematics

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In geophysics and geodesy, plate kinematics is the purely geometric modeling of continental displacement.

The term represents - like its general counterpart kinematics - the counterpart to models of dynamics , in which not only the movements but also the forces causing them are the subject of research. In this sense, the generally accepted theory of plate tectonics is usually understood today .

However, in the subject areas of geophysics and geodynamics, the correct term plate dynamics is still not widely used, so that many scientists prefer the term plate kinematics to other names for purely geometric models . In general, it could be equated with continental drift .

In terms of content, the plate kinematics describes the slow movement of the continental plates and, in newer models, their rotations as well . The annual movement rates are between 1 cm and 10 cm and have been secured to within a few percent using satellite geodesy methods since the 1990s . In contrast, earth crust movements on a smaller scale or geologically caused local movements are examined in the course of the individual land surveys and generally described using methods of regional geology .

The best-known earth model of plate kinematics is the international reference system for global coordinates and coordinate changes, the so-called ITRF . Since the ITRF 2000 solution, it has been adjusted to the current continental drift every 1–2 years.

Web links

• Michael Nutto: Internet-based specialist information system for plate kinematics (Universitätsverlag Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe 2006, ISBN 3-86644-063-4 )