The driving mechanism of plate tectonics
- 1 July 1975
- journal article
- Published by American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Reviews of Geophysics
- Vol. 13 (3) , 333-334
- https://doi.org/10.1029/rg013i003p00333
Abstract
With the general acceptance of plate tectonics there is the question of its cause. An energy source is required which can account for the earth's heat loss, seismicity, volcanism, and tectonics. The probable energy source is the heat production due to radioactive decay of uranium, thorium, and potassium [Lliboutry, 1972; Turcotte and Oxburgh, 1972]. Alternative energy sources are differentiation processes in the core and mantle and solid earth tides.Keywords
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