New global model captures how tectonic plates deform beyond rigid movement
In short: Researchers have developed a new global plate motion model that moves beyond the traditional view of plates as rigid blocks. By incorporating lithospheric deformation, the model tracks how continental margins have stretched and compressed since the breakup of Pangea approximately 240 million years ago.
The study reconstructed plate motions by integrating regional tectonic models, geological data, and hot spot tracks. This approach allows for a more detailed view of how crustal area—about one third of the total—has been deformed by extension and compression. However, the model relies on the synthesis of existing regional datasets.
Why it matters: Tectonic plates are not merely rigid movers; they undergo significant stretching and squeezing that reshapes continents over hundreds of millions of years.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Muller et al. (2019). A Global Plate Model Including Lithospheric Deformation Along Major Rifts and Orogens Since the Triassic. Tectonics. · cc-by-nc-nd
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