Relations between a criterion for polar wander and some conditions for absolute plate motion

Abstract

Jurdy and Van der Voo's (1974) definition of polar wander is shown to be related to equations which Lliboutry (1914a, b) and Solomon and Sleep (1974) use for calculating absolute plate motions. A restatement of their polar wander criterion in terms of the net angular momentum of infinitely thin lithospheric plates is compared by a suggestive but nonrigorous argument with Solomon and Sleep's (1974) condition that the net torque acting on the lithosphere be zero, The small amount of polar wander calculated by Jurdy and Van der Voo (1974, 1975) since Early Cretaceous suggests that the abovementioned conditions for absolute plate motion have some validity.