The most dramatic events in the geologic history of Earth derive from the motions of the rocky (lithospheric) plate that cover the surface; among them are the construction of mountain such as the Alps, the Himalaya, and the Appalachians, changes of climate, and the circulation in the oceans. Hence, establishing the history of plate motions is fundamentally important to understanding the history of Earth. For decades it has been argued that chains of volcanoes produces over time by persistent, localized sources such as Hawaii record ?absolute? plate motions, but others have argued that the hotspots themselves move as well. The subject remains controversial. One way to address this question is by using paleomagnetic methods to track the motions of plates relative to the magnetic pole ? to establish the locations of past magnetic poles. Paleomagnetic pole positions can be estimated by analyzing the skewness (asymmetry) of the magnetic anomalies that produced by sea floor spreading. A reliable set of paleopoles for the Pacific plate for ages older than million years would do much to resolve the motion of the Pacific Plate. This project seeks to use the skewness of 13 magnetic anomalies to establish 13 well-constrained paleomagnetic poles for the period from 43 to 81 million years ago. Among the broader impacts of this work are its contribution to resolving a problem of interest and importance to a wide variety of sub disciplines within the earth science community, providing a research experience for undergraduate and graduate students (including one member of a underrepresented group).
