Average plate velocities for many of the large plates have been known for sometime based on radiometric dates of magnetic strips on the seafloor. Recently, work has indicated that plate velocities may vary in concert on geologically brief time scales without violating plate circuit closure requirements. This project will test this idea by combining available marine data on seafloor topography, magnetic and geochronologic information for the east Pacific basin. Results should indicate if short-interval plate velocity changes are real, and if so should help to determine the causative factors.
