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Richard G. Gordon
Professor
W. M. Keck Foundation Professorship in Geophysics
e-mail:[email protected]
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AB, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1975
MS, Stanford University, 1977
PhD, Stanford University, 1979
Primary Department
Department of Earth Science
Department Affiliations
 Center for Computational Geophysics
 Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering
Websites
Earth Science Faculty
Rice Global Tectonics Web Page
Research Areas
Global tectonics and tectonophysics, marine geophysics, space geodesy, paleomagnetism
Research Statement
Quantitative Tectonics: Applications to regional and global tectonics of investigations of the
horizontal kinematics of the crust and
lithosphere inferred mainly from marine-geophysical, paleomagnetic, space geodetic, and
earthquake-mechanism data.
Tectonic applications of space geodesy: Donald Argus and I are studying the motion between
the Pacific, North America,
Eurasian, and Sierra-Nevada plates over the past decade using geodetic data from very long
baseline interferometry. One focus
has been how motion is accommodated across the wide deforming zone in western North
America that divides the Pacific from
the North American plate.
Plate rigidity and wide plate boundary zones: Using marine geophysical and space geodetic
data, students, colleagues and I have
been placing quantitative limits on plate rigidity and identifying regions of the world where
plates deform over very wide zones,
which we interpret as diffuse plate boundaries. Of particular interest has been the deforming
zone in the equatorial Indian Ocean
east of the Central Indian Ridge and west of Sumatra. Our recent work has expanded to
include the motion between the
Capricorn and Australian plates and the oceanic portions of the Nubian and Somalian plates.
Tectonic paleomagnetism: With Ben Horner-Johnson, I am analyzing the shapes of seasurface magnetic anomalies due to
seafloor spreading. From this information we estimate paleomagnetic poles averaged over
small, precisely dated time intervals.
Goals of this work include testing circum-Pacific plate reconstructions, determining the history
of motion of hotspots relative to the
paleomagnetic axis, and to put bounds on possible persistent quadrupole components of the
geomagnetic field in the past.
Plate motion relative to the hotspots: Current studies include a global model of current plate
motion relative to the hotspots (with
Alice Gripp), a model for the Tertiary and Cretaceous motion of the Pacific plate relative to
hotspots, implications for the tectonic
and volcanic evolution of the Pacific, the quantification of uncertainties of plate motion relative
to the hotspots, and tests for motion
between hotspots.
Teaching Areas
Introductory geology, structural geology, global tectonics, tectonophysics
Selected Publications
Refereed articles
Corné Kreemer, Richard G Gordon "Pacific plate deformation from horizontal thermal
contraction." Geology , 42 (2014) : 847-850.
Emilia A Koivisto, David L Andrews, Richard G Gordon "Tests of fixity of the Indo‐Atlantic hot
spots relative to Pacific hot spots." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 119 (January
2014) : 661-675.
Lin Zheng, Richard G Gordon, Corné Kreemer "Absolute plate velocities from seismic
anisotropy: Importance of correlated errors." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth,
119 (2014) : 7336-7352.
Koivisto, E. A., D. L. Andrews, and R. G. Gordon (2014), Tests of fixity of the Indo-Atlantic hot spots
relative to Pacific hot spots, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 119, doi:10.1002/2013JB010413.
Zheng, L., R. G. Gordon, and C. Kreemer "Absolute plate velocities from seismic anisotropy:
Importance of correlated errors." Submitted
Argus, D.F., Gordon, R.G., DeMets, C. "Geologically current motion of 56 plates relative to the
no-net-rotation reference frame." Geochemistry,Geophysics, Geosystems ( 2011)
Koivisto, E.A., Gordon, R.G., Dyment, J., Arkani-Hamed, J. "The spreading-rate dependence of
anomalous skewness of Pacific plate magnetic anomaly 32: Revisited." Lithosphere (2011)
Argus, D. F., R. G. Gordon, M. B. Heflin, C. Ma, R. J. Eanes, P. Willis, W. R. Peltier, & S. E.
Owen "The angular velocities of the plates and the velocity of Earth’s centre from space
geodesy." Geophys. J. Int. (2010)
DeMets, D. C., R. G. Gordon, & D. F. Argus "Geologically current plate motions." Geophys. J.
Int. (2010)
Horner-Johnson, B. C., & R. G. Gordon "True polar wander since 32 Ma B.P.: A Paleomagnetic
Investigation of the Skewness of Magnetic Anomaly 12r on the Pacific Plate." J. Geophys. Res.
(2010)
Ghosh, J. & R. G. Gordon "Constrained Strength Envelopes for Deforming Oceanic Lithosphere
with Some Implications for the History of Lithospheric Deformation of the Equatorial Indian
Ocean." J. Geophys. Res. (2010) In Revision
Koivisto, E. A., R. G. Gordon, J. Dyment, & J. Arkani-Hamed "Revised Chron 32 (71.6 to 73.0
Ma) Palaeomagnetic Pole for the Pacific Plate Incorporating Spreading-Rate-Dependent
Anomalous Skewness." Geophys. J. Int. (2010) In Revision
Kumar, R. R., & R. G. Gordon "Horizontal Thermal Contraction of Oceanic Lithosphere: The
Ultimate Limit to the Rigid Plate Approximation." Journal of Geophysical Research, 114 (2009)
Gordon, R. G., D. F. Argus, & J.-Y. Royer "Space geodetic test of kinematic models for the
Indo-Australian composite plate." Geology, 36 (2008) : 827-830.
Andrews, D. L.; Gordon, R. G. "The uncertainty of finite plate rotation relative to the hotpots:
Revised estimate of Cenozoic motion between the Tristan hotspot and Pacific
hotspots." Geology (2003) Submitted
B. J. Horner-Johnson, Gordon, R. G. "Equatorial Pacific magnetic anomalies identified from
vector aeromagnetic data." Geophysical Journal International, 155 (2003) : 547-556.
Gripp, A. E. and Gordon, R. G. "Young tracks of hotspots and current plate
velocities." Geophysical Journal International, 150 (2002) : 321-361.
Lemaux II, J., Gordon, R. G., and J.-Y. Royer "The location of the Nubia-Somalia boundary
along the Southwest Indian Ridge." Geology, 30 (2002) : 339-342.
Argus, D. F., and R. G. Gordon "Present tectonic motion across the Coast Ranges and San
Andreas fault system in central California." Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 113
(2001) : 1580-1592.
DeMets, C., R. G. Gordon, and J.-Y. Royer "New high-resolution estimates of the relative
motion between the Indian, Capricorn, and Somalian plates since 20 Ma: Evidence for changes
coinciding with the onset of seafloor deformation in the Central Indian basin." Geophysical
Journal International (in revisio)
Zatman, S., R. G. Gordon, and M. A. Richards "Analytic models for the dynamics of diffuse
oceanic plate boundaries." Geophysical Journal International, 145 (2001) : 145-156.
Gordon, R. G. "Diffuse oceanic plate boundaries: Strain rates, vertically averaged rheology,
and comparisons with narrow plate boundaries and stable plate interiors." in Richards, M. A.,
R. G. Gordon, and R. D. Van der Hilst (editors), History and Dynamics of Global Plate Motions,
Geophysical Monograph 121, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC (2000) : 143-159.
Richards, M. A., R. G. Gordon, and R. D. Van der Hilst "Plate tectonics and mantle convection:
thirty years later." in Richards, M. A., R. G. Gordon, and R. D. Van der Hilst (editors), History
and Dynamics of Global Plate Motions, Geophysical Monograph 121, American Geophysical
Union, Washington, DC (2000) : 1-4.
Chu, D., and R. G. Gordon "Evidence for motion between Nubia and Somalia along the
Southwest Indian Ridge." Nature, 398 (1999) : 64-67.
Kirkwood, B. H., J.-Y. Royer, T. C. Chang, and R. G. Gordon "Statistical tools for estimating
and combining finite rotations and their uncertainties." Geophysical Journal International, 137
(1999) : 408-428.
Petronotis, K. E., and R. G. Gordon "A Maastrichtian palaeomagnetic pole for the Pacific plate
from a skewness analysis of marine magnetic anomaly 32." Geophysical Journal International,
139 (1999) : 227-247.
Chu, D., and Gordon, R.G. "Current plate motions across the Red Sea." Geophysical Journal
International, 135 (1998) : 313-328.
Gordon, R. G. "The plate tectonic approximation: Plate nonrigidity, diffuse plate boundaries,
and global plate reconstructions." Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 26 (1998)
: 615-642.
R. G. Gordon, C. DeMets, & J.-Y. Royer "Evidence for long-term diffuse deformation of the
lithosphere of the equatorial Indian Ocean." Nature, 395 (1998) : 370-374.
Articles
Gordon, R. G. "Lithospheric Deformation in the equatorial Indian Ocean: Timing and
Tibet." Geology, 37 (2009) : 287-288.
Gordon, R. G. "A tale of a trail." Nature Geoscience, 1 (2008) : 574-575.
Horner-Johnson, B. C., R. G. Gordon, and D. F. Argus, Plate kinematic evidence for the
existence of a distinct plate between the Nubian and Somalian plates along the Southwest
Indian Ridge, J. Geophys. Res., VOL. 112, B05418, doi:10.1029/2006JB004519, 2007
David L. Andrews, Richard G. Gordon and Benjamin C. Horner-Johnson "Uncertainties in plate
reconstructions relative to the hotspots; Pacific-hotspot rotations and uncertainties for the
past 68 million years." Geophysical Journal International, 166 (2006) : 939-951.
Jean-Yves Royer, Richard G. Gordon, and Benjamin C. Horner-Johnson, Motion of Nubia
relative to Antarctica since 11 Ma: Implications for Nubia-Somalia, Pacific North America, and
India-Eurasia motion, Geology; June 2006; v. 34; no. 6; p. 501 504.
Jellinek, MA, Gordon RG, Zatman, S "Experimental tests of simple models for the dynamics of
diffuse oceanic plate boundaries." Geophysical Journal International, 164 (2006) : 624¿632.
DeMets C, Gordon R.G., Royer J.Y. "Motion between the Indian, Capricorn and Somalian plates
since 20 Ma: implications for the timing and magnitude of distributed lithospheric deformation
in the equatorial Indian ocean ." Geophysical Journal International, 161 (2005) : 445-468.
Horner-Johnson B.C., Gordon R.G., Cowles S.M., Argus D.F. "The angular velocity of Nubia
relative to Somalia and the location of the Nubia-Somalia-Antarctica triple
junction." Geophysical Journal International, 162 (2005) : 221-238.
Zatman S., Gordon R.G., Mutnuri K. "Dynamics of diffuse oceanic plate boundaries:
insensitivity to rheology." Geophysical Journal International, 162 (2005) : 239-248.
Gordon, R. G. "The Antarctic connection." Nature, 404 (2000) : 139-140.
Books
Richards, M. A., R. G. Gordon, and R. D. Van der Hilst "History and Dynamics of Global Plate
Motions." (2000) : 398 pp..
Other
Stephen Zatman, Richard G. Gordon, & Kartik Mutnuri "Dynamics of Diffuse Oceanic Plate
Boundaries: Insensitivity to Rheology." Geophysical Journal InternationalIn Press
Presentations
Conference Paper
"Absolute Plate Velocities from Seismic Anisotropy: Importance of Correlated Errors
and the Motion of Trenches Relative to the Deep Mantle ." (September 1-4, 2014)
Invited Papers
"New tests of the fixed hotspot approximation." Arizona Geological Society Symposium: Ores
and Orogenesis: Circum-Pacific Tectonics, Geologic Evolution, and Ore Deposits, Tucson, AZ.
(Sept. 27, 2007)
Invited Talks
Gordon, R.G., (2011), Global Plate Reconstructions, Pacific Plate Apparent Polar Wander, and
the Origom of the Bend in the Hawaiian-Emeror Chain (Invited), Abstract T33I-01 presented
at 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 5-9 Dec.
Co-author. "GEODVEL, MORVEL, and the velocity of Earth’s center." American Geophysical Union
Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California. (December 14, 2010) With Donald F. Argus, Richard G.
Gordon, & Chuck DeMets
Presenter. "True Polar Wander and Hotspot Fixity: A Paleomagnetic Investigation of the
Skewness of Magnetic Anomaly 12r (32 Ma B.P.) on the Pacific Plate." American Geophysical
Union Meeting of the Americas, Iguassu Falls, Brazil. (August 10, 2010) With Richard G
Gordon & Benjamin C. Horner-Johnson
"Changes in Plate Motion During Quaternary Time." (Dec. 2009)
"Comparison of plate motion determined from space geodesy with that determined from
magnetic anomalies and transform azimuths." (December 2009)
"Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries, Plate Non-Rigidity, True Polar Wander, and Motion Between
Hotspots: Results From Investigations of Marine Magnetic Anomalies." American Geophysical
Union Joint Assembly, Toronto. (May 25 2009)
co-author. "MORVEL: A new estimate for geologically recent plate motions ." American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (December 17, 2008) With Chuck DeMets &
Donald F Argus
co-author. "The Translation and Rotation With Which to Define the North American plate ."
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (December 11, 2007) With
Donald Argus, W. R. Peltier
1st author and speaker. "Global Strike-Slip Faults:Bounds from Plate Tectonics." American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (Dec. 11-15, 2006) With Donald F. Argus
invitee and speaker. "New tests of the fixed hotspot approximation." Houston Gem and
Mineral Society, Houston. (April 25, 2006)
Presenter and first author. "Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries, Thin Viscous Sheets of Oceanic
Lithosphere, and Late Miocene Changes in Plate Motion and Tectonic Regime." American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (2005) With Jean-Yves Royer
Presenter and first author. "Improvements to Estimates of Geologically Instantaneous Global
Plate Motions." Dynamic Planet/International Association of Geodesy bi-ennial meeting,
Cairns, Australia. (August 2005) With Donald Argus
Speaker. "Plate Motions from Space Geodesy." The Annual Spring Meeting of the American
Geophysical Union, Montreal, Canada. (May 17-21, 2004) With Donald F. Argus, Richard G.
Gordon, Benjamin Horner-Johnson, Jean-Yves Royer, Mike Heflin, Chopo Ma, Richard Eanes
"Kinematics, dynamics, and rheology of diffuse oceanic plate boundaries." Gordon Research
Conference: Interior of the Earth, Mt. Holyoke College, Massachusetts. (12 June 2003)
"Plate Tectonics." Crafoord Symposium/Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, University of
Lund and Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Stockholm). (9/16/02 in Lund; repeated
9/17/02 in Stockholm)
Keynote Speaker
Presenter. "Diffuse oceanic plate boundaries and Thin viscous sheet models for deformation
of Indo-Australian oceanic lithosphere." GLADE (Geodynamics of the Lithosphere and Deep
Earth) Workshop: From grains to global tectonics, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla,
California. (July 26, 2010) With Richard G Gordon and Greg Houseman
speaker. "Africa-Europe plate motions and deformation from both marine geophysical and
space geodetic data." Topo Europe Workshop, El Escorial, Spain. (October 6, 2008)
Lectures
Presenter. "
True Polar Wander and Hotspot Fixity: A Paleomagnetic Investigation of the
Skewness of Magnetic Anomaly 12r (32 Ma B.P.) on the Pacific Plate
." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California. (December 14, 2010)
With Richard G Gordon & Benjamin C. Horner-Johnson
Co-author, supervisor of graduate student presenter. "Current Plate Motion Relative to the
Hotspots and to the Mantle." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco,
California. (December 14, 2010) With Lin Zheng, Richard G. Gordon, Donald F. Argus, Charles
DeMets & Corné Kreemer
Presenter. "Current plate motions relative to the hotspots consistent with the MORVEL global
set of plate relative angular velocities." European Geosciences Union Annual Meeting, Vienna,
Austria. (May 7, 2010) With Lin Zheng, Richard G. Gordon, Donald F. Argus, Corné Kreemer,
& Chuck DeMets
Presenter. "Thin viscous sheet models for deformation of Indo-Australian oceanic
lithosphere." Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado. (October 31,
2010) With Richard G Gordon & Greg Houseman
"Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries,
Plate Non-Rigidity,
True Polar Wander, and
Motion Between Hotspots:
Results From Investigations of Marine Magnetic Anomalies." University of Leeds, Leeds (UK).
(Nov. 20, 2009)
"Thin viscous sheet models for deformation of Indo-Australian oceanic lithosphere." European
Geoscience Union General Assembly, Vienna. (Dec. 2009) With Greg Houseman
speaker & co-author. "Evidence for True Polar Wander since mid-Cenozoic time: A
Paleomagnetic Investigation of the Skewness of Magnetic Anomaly 12r (32 Ma) Between the
Galapagos and Clarion Fracture Zones on the Pacific Plate ." European Geoscience Union
Annual Meeting, Vienna. (April 15, 2008) With Benjamin Horner-Johnson
co-author. "GEODVEL: Plate Angular Velocities from four space techniques." Geological
Society of America annual meeting, Houston. (October 4, 2008) With Donald F. Argus
speaker & 1st author. "Thin Viscous Sheet Models for Deformation of Indo-Australian Oceanic
Lithosphere ." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (December 19, 2008)
With Greg Houseman
speaker. "Horizontal thermal contractional strain in oceanic lithosphere: The ultimate limit to
the rigid plate hypothesis." Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
(October 31, 2007) With Ravi Kumar
co-author. "GEODVEL: Plate Motions From Space Geodesy ." American Geophysical Union Fall
Meeting, San Francisco. (Dec. 11-15, 2006) With D F Argus, Ma, C, Eanes, R J, Heflin, M B,
Willis, S, and Willis, P.
speaker. "Horizontal thermal contractional strain of oceanic lithosphere: the ultimate limit to
the rigid plate hypothesis." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (Dec. 1115, 2006) With Ravi R. Kumar, Chad M. Landis
co-author. "Moving beyond NUVEL-1A: The MORVEL estimates of geologically recent global
plate motions ." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (Dec. 11-15, 2006)
With C DeMets, D F Argus
1st author and speaker. "Non-closure of the geologically instantaneous global plate motion
circuit: Implications for plate non-rigidity." European Geophysical Union, Vienna. (April 2-7
2006) With Ravi R. Kumar, Jean-Yves Royer, Donald F. Argus
Co-author. "Does a Fault in the Plate Circuit Ruin Intra-ocean Comparison of Hotspot Tracks."
Great Plume Debate, Scotland. (August 2005) With Will Sager
Co-author and advisor. "Horizontal thermal contraction of oceanic lithosphere and
implications for the rigid plate approximation." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San
Francisco. (December 2005) With Ravi Kumar
Speaker, senior author. "Latitudinal shift of the Hawiian hotspot: Motion relative to other
hotspots or true polar wander." European Geophysical Union Meeting, Vieena. (April 2005)
With Benjamin C. Horner-Johnson and Ravi R. Kumar
Presenter and 1st author. "New tests of the fixed hotspot approximation." European
Geophysical Union Meeting, Vienna. (May 2005) With David L. Andrews, & Benjamin C.
Horner-Johnson
Convenor, Presenter, and First Author. "New tests of the fixed hotspot approximation."
American Geophysical Union Spring Meeting, New Orleans. (May 2005) With David L.
Andrews, Benjamin Horner-Johnson, Ravi R. Kumar
Presenter and First Author. "Non-closure of the geologically instantaneous global plate motion
circuit: Implications for plate non-rigidity." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San
Francisco. (December 2005) With Jean-Yves Royer, Donald Argus, Ravi Kumar
Presenter and Convenor. "Pacific plate apparent polar wander and latitudinal shift of the
Hawaiian hotspot: A brief review and future prospects." American Geophysical Union Spring
Meeting, New Orleans. (May 2005)
Presenter, Convenor. "Paleomagnetic poles from the skewness of marine magnetic
anomalies." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (December 2005) With
Benjamin Horner-Johnson
Co-Author. "Total motion across the East African Rift viewed from the Southwest Indian Ridge
." American Geophysical Union Spring Meeting, New Orleans. (May 2005) With Jean-Yves
Royer
Speaker. "Apparent Polar Wander of the Pacific Plate and Pacific Hotspots: Implications for
True Polar Wander and Hotspot Fixity." Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America,
Denver, Colorado. (Nov. 5, 2004) With Richard G. Gordon, David Andrews, Benjamin HornerJohnson, Gary Acton, Katerina Petronotis
Speaker. "Apparent Polar Wander of the Pacific Plate and Pacific Hotspots: Implications for
True Polar Wander and Hotspot Fixity." The Annual Spring Meeting of the American
Geophysical Union, Montreal, Canada. (May 17-21, 2004) With Richard G. Gordon, David
Andrews, Benjamin Horner-Johnson, Gary Acton, Katerina Petronotis
Speaker. "Comparisons between geodetically and geologically estimated plate velocities."
College de France, (Jan. 6 2004)
Speaker. "Dynamics of the Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries in the Indo-Australian Composite
Plate: (How) are They Related to the India-Eurasia Collision?." Stephen Zatman Memorial
Lecture, Washington University, St. Louis. (October 7, 2004)
Speaker. "Global Tectonic Potpourri: (1) Hotspot fixity, (2) True polar wander (the view from
the Pacific), (3) Plate non-rigidity (and diffuse oceanic plate boundaries)." Institut du Physique
du Globe, (University of Paris 7). (Jan. 9, 2004)
Speaker. "Hotspot reference frame for present plate motion." The Annual Spring Meeting of
the American Geophysical Union, Montreal, Canada. (May 17-21, 2004) With Ravi R. Kumar,
David L. Andrews, & Richard G. Gordon
Speaker. "Late Miocene Changes in Angular Velocity and Torques on the Indian, Capricorn,
and Australian Component Plates, and Speculative Implications for Global Plate Motion
Reorganizations." The Annual Spring Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Montreal,
Canada. (May 17-21, 2004) With Richard Gordon, Stephen Zatman, & Kartik Munuri
Speaker. "New Tests of Plate Reconstructions that Assume Fixed Hotspots." presented at the
Conference Celebrating the 75th Birthday of Kevin Burke, University of Houston. (Nov. 12-14,
2004)
Speaker. "The torque across the India-Capricorn Diffuse Plate Boundary: The Tibetan
Connection." presented at the Conference Celebrating the 75th Birthday of Kevin Burke,
University of Houston. (Nov. 12-14, 2004)
Speaker. "Un Pot-pourri de Tectonique du Globe: (1) Les Points Chauds: Fixes ou mobiles,
(2) D'e river 'eelle des ples g'eographiques (vue du Pacifique), (3) Non-rigidit'e des Plaques
(et fronti'eres diffuses oc'eaniques)"." Institut Universitaire Europe, en de la Mer, Plouzan,
(France). (April 29, 2004)
Thesis Advisor. "Diffuse oceanic plate boundaries: Mapping the relationship between angular
velocity and torques as a function of assumed rheology." AGU (American Geophysical Union)
Fall 2003 Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (12 December 2003) With Kartik Mutnuri
Thesis Advisor. "Revised estimate of the Cenozoic motion between the Tristan da Cunha
hotspot and Pacific hotspots." AGU (American Geophysical Union) Fall 2003 Meeting, San
Francisco, CA. (9 December 2003) With David Andrews
Speaker. "The Angular Velocity of Nubia Relative to Somalia and the Location of the NubiaSomalia-Antarctica Triple Junction." AGU (American Geophysical Union) Fall 2003 Meeting,
San Francisco, CA. (12 December 2003) With Benjamin C. Horner-Johnson, Sara M. Cowles,
and Donald F. Argus
Other
"American Geophysical Union meeting." (December 2014)
"European Geosciences Union meeting." (April 27, 2014)
"Day Medal citation for Mary Lou Zoback." Geological Society of America Annual Meeting,
Denver, CO. (October 27, 2007)
"Constraints on the Character of Plate Tectonics From the Study of Diffuse Plate Boundaries."
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (12/11/2001) With S Zatman
"Current Plate Motion Across the Southwest Indian Ridge: Implications for the Diffuse Oceanic
Plate Boundary Between Nubia and Somalia ." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San
Francisco, CA. (12/10/2001) With B C Horner-Johnson, S M Cowles, D F Argus
"Dynamics and rheology of diffuse oceanic plate boundaries." University of California at Santa
Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. (11/9/2001)
"Location of the Nubia-Somalia boundary along the Southwest Indian Ridge." Thompson
Symposium, Stanford University. (12/08/2001) With James Lemaux II, Jean-Yves Royer
"Plate Motions from Space Geodesy." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting , San
Francisco. (12/12/2001) With D. F. Argus, M. Heflin
"Present Tectonic Motion across the Coast Ranges and San Andreas Fault System in Central
California (with Implications for a Late Miocene Change in the Motion of the Sierran Microplate
relative to North America." Thompson Symposium, Stanford University. (11/08/2001) With
Donald Argus
"Present tectonic motion across the Coast Ranges and San Andreas fault system in central
California." U. S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA. (11/8/2001)
"Rheology and dynamics of diffuse oceanic plate boundaries." U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo
Park, CA. (11/8/2001)
"Some Recent Results for Geologically Instantaneous Plate Motions." American Geophysical
Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (12/12/2001)
"Diffuse oceanic plate boundaries and the plate tectonic approximation: Strain rates and
vertically averaged rheology." Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. (April 20, 2000)
"Diffuse oceanic plate boundaries: New results." University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley,
California. (March 21, 2000)
"Dynamics and rheology of diffuse oceanic plate boundaries." American Geophysical Union Fall
Meeting, San Francisco, California. (December 19, 2000) With Stephen Zatman, Mark Jellinek
"Location of the Nubia-Somalia-Antarctica triple junction and motion between Nubia and
Somalia since 20 Ma." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California.
(December 16, 2000) With James Lemaux II, Jean-Yves Royer
"Present tectonic motion across the Coast Ranges and San Andreas Fault System in Central
California." University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California. (February 3, 2000)
"Motion between Nubia and Somalia since chron 5 (11 Ma) from an analysis of magnetic
anomaly and fracture zone crossings along the Southwest Indian Ridge." American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (December 17, 1999) With James Lemaux,
Jean-Yves Royer
"Present Tectonic Motion across the Coast Ranges and San Andreas Fault System in Central
California." University of California, Santa Barbara. (January 14, 1999)
"Present Tectonic Motion Across the Coast Ranges and San Andreas Fault System in Central
California." Rice Univesity. (December 1, 1999)
"Present Tectonic Motion across the Coast Ranges and San Andreas Fault System in Central
California." Jet Propulsion Lab, Cal Tech, Pasadena, CA. (January 11, 1999)
"Revised estimate of the angular velocity of India relative to Eurasia." American Geophysical
Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (December 17, 1999) With Donald Argus, Michael
Heflin
"The Plate Tectonic Approximation: Plate Nonrigidity and Diffuse Plate Boundaries." University
of California, Santa Barbara. (January 13, 1999)
"The Plate Tectonic Approximation: Plate Nonrigidity and Diffuse Plate Boundaries."
SEMINAIRES "DOMAINES OCEANIQUES", Institut Universitaire Europeen de la Mer, Universite
Bretagne Occidentale (Brest). (July 9, 1999)
"The Plate Tectonic Approximation: Plate Nonrigidity and Diffuse Plate Boundaries." University
of Colorado, Boulder. (March 31, 1999)
"The Plate Tectonic Approximation: Plate Nonrigidity and Diffuse Plate Boundaries." Princeton
University. (October 18, 1999)
""Changes in motion between the Indian, Capricorn, and Somalian plates since 20 Ma and
their relation to the tectonics of the Central Indian Basin and Tibetan Plateau"." Fall AGU, San
Francisco. (December 10, 1998) With C. DeMets, J.-Y. Royer
"(i) The plate tectonic approximation: Plate nonrigidity and diffuse plate boundaries, (ii)
Accommodation of Pacific-North America motion across the western United States.." Two
Seminars at the Southern Methodist University Department of Geology & Geophysics, Dallas.
"Apparent polar wander of the hotspots: the view from the Pacifici." European Geoophysical
Society Meeting, Nice, France. (April 20, 1998)
"Cross Ridge Comparisons of Magnetic Anomaly Skewness in the Pacific." Spring AGU Meeting,
Boston. (May 26, 1998) With Benjamin Horner-Johnson
"Equatorial Pacific Magnetic Anomalies Identified from Vector Aeromagnetic Data." Spring
AGU, Boston. (May 26, 1998) With Benjamin Horner-Johnson
"Hotspot fixity and apparent polar wander." Fall AGU Meeting, San Francisco. (December 8,
1998)
"Pacific-North America motion estimated from GPS, VLBI, SLR, and marine geophysical data,
and bounds on plate nonrigidity." Fall AGU, San Francisco. (December 10, 1998) With D. Chu,
D. Argus
"Present tectonic motion across the Coast Ranges and San Andreas Fault Systems in Central
California." Fall AGU Meeting, San Francisco. (Dcember 8, 1998) With Donald F. Argus
"The plate tectonic approximation: Plate nonrigidity and diffuse plate motions." Seminar at the
University of Arizona Geosciences Department, Tucson, Arizone. (February 6, 1998)
"The plate tectonic approximation: Plate nonrigidity and diffuse plate motions." Seminar at the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology, Cal Tech. (February 24,
1998)
"The plate tectonic approximation: Plate nonrigidity and diffuse plate motions." AGU Annual
Meeting, Boston. (May 26, 1998)
"The plate tectonic approximation: Plate nonrigidity and diffuse plate motions." Department of
Geology and Geophysics Seminar Series, Houston, Texas. (January 21, 1998)
Posters
"Non-Orthogonality of Seafloor Spreading: A New Look at Fast Spreading Centers." American
Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA. (December 2014) With Tuo Zhang and Richard G.
Gordon
Stadnik, S., and R.G. Gordon (2013) An Alternative Estimate of the Motion of the Capricorn
Plate, Abstract T51F-2535 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec.
Zheng, L., R.G. Gordon, and C. Kreemer (2013), Correlated Errors in Seismic Anistropy Data
and Implications for Current Absolute Plate Motion, Abstract T51E-2515 presented at tje 2-13
Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec.
Mathews, D.C., L. Zheng, and R.G. Gordon (2013), Do Trenches Advance? Abstract T43D2682 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 9-13 Dec.
Gordon, R.G., and J.K. Mishra (2013), Horizontal Therman Contraction of Ocean Lithosphere
and the Azimuths of Transform Faults, Abstract S51C-2380 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting,
AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec.
Throckmorton, C.R., T. Zhang, and R. G. Gordon (2013) Non-Orthogonality of Seafloor
Spreading: A New Global Survey Building on the MORVEL Plate Motion Project, Abstract T51E2521 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec.
Gordon, R.G., J.K. Mishra, (2012), Horizontal Contraction of Oceanic Lithosphere Tested Using
Azimuths of Transform Faults, Abstract T33G-2754 presented at 2012 Fall Meeting, AGU, San
Francisco, Calif., 3-7 Dec.
Boswell, S.M., L. Zheng, R.G. Gordon, and J. Dyment, (2011), Numerican investigations of the
spreading-rate dependence of anomalous skewness of marine magnetic anomalies due to
seafloor spreading, Abstract T23D-2441 presented at 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco,
Calif., 5-9 Dec.
Zheng, L., R.G. Gordon, and B.C. Horner-Johnson (2011), Pacific plate apparent polar wander
between 67 Ma and 44 Ma determined from the analysis of the skewness of both vector and
scalar magnetic anomalies due to seafloor spreading, Abstract T23D-2440 presented at 2011
Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 5-9 Dec.
Gordon, R.G., and G.A Houseman, (2011), Thin Viscous Sheet Models for Distributed
Deformation of Oceanic Lithosphere Accommodating Motion Between the India, Capricorn, and
Australia Plates, Abstract T34D-06 presented at 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif.,
5-9 Dec.
Mishra, J.K., and R.G. Gordon, (2011), Vertically Integrated Rheology of Deforming Oceanic
Lithosphere, Abstract T23D-2447 presented at 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif.,
5-9 Dec.
Co-author, supervisor of undergraduate presenter. "
Toward Quantifying the Spreading-Rate Dependence of Anomalous Skewness of Marine
Magnetic Anomalies due to Seafloor Spreading
." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California. (December 15, 2010)
With Steven Boswell, Lin Zheng, Richard G Gordon, & Jerome Dyment
Co-author. "NNR-MORVEL56: No-net-rotation model of geologically current plate motions."
International Association of Geodesy Meeting on Reference Frames, Paris, France. (October 4,
2010) With Donald F. Argus,Richard G. Gordon,Charles DeMets,& Lin Zheng
Co-author. " NNR-MORVEL56: No-net-rotation model of geologically current plate motions." American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California. (December 16, 2010) With Donald
F. Argus, Richard G. Gordon, Chuck DeMets, & Lin Zheng
Co-author. "Current Plate Motion Relative to the Hotspots and Mantle." International
Association of Geodesy Meeting on Reference Frames, Paris, France. (October 4, 2010) With
Lin Zheng, Richard G. Gordon, Donald Argus, Charles DeMets
Co-author. "The Effect of Horizontal Thermal Contraction on Oceanic Intraplate Deformation:
Examples for the Pacific." European Geosciences Union Annual Meeting, Vienna, Austria. (May
7, 2010) With Corné Kreemer, Richard G. Gordon, Jay Kumar Mishra
co-author and advisor. "Current plate motion relative to hotspots consistent with the MORVEL
global set of plate relative velocities." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San
Francisco. (Dec. 2009) With Zheng, L., R. G. Gordon, C. DeMets, & D. F. Argus
"Do Transform Faults Parallel Plate Motion?." (Dec. 2009)
"The Displacement Rate Across the Pacific Plate due to Horizontal Thermal Contraction." (Dec.
2009)
co-author & presenter. "Do transform faults parallel plate motion?." American Geophysical
Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (December 18, 2008) With Jay K Mishra
supervisor & co-author. "Stresses and Strength of the Lithosphere: Implications of the
Distribution of Lithospheric Deformation in the Equatorial Indian Ocean ." American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (December 19, 2008) With Jaydip Ghosh,
Kartik Mutnuri
co-author & supervisor. "Updated test of fixity of the Iceland hotspot relative to Pacific
hotspots ." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco. (December 18, 2008)
With E. Koivisto & D. L. Andrews
presenter. "Evidence for True Polar Wander since mid-Cenozoic time: A Paleomagnetic
Investigation of the Skewness of Magnetic Anomaly 12r (32 Ma) Between the Galapagos and
Clarion Fracture Zones on the Pacific Plate." American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San
Francisco, CA. (December 10, 2007) With Benjamin Horner-Johnson
supervisor and co-author. "Updated Pacific Plate Paleomagnetic Pole for Chron 32 (72 Ma),
Uncertainties in Pacific-Hotspot Rotations, and Updated Pacific-Hotspot Plate Reconstructions."
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (December 10, 2007) With
Emilia Koivisto
Supervisor and co-author. "Spreading-rate-dependent anomalous skewness and the estimate
of the chron 32 palaeomagnetic pole for the Pacific plate ." American Geophysical Union Fall
Meeting, San Francisco. (Dec. 11-15, 2006) With Emilia Koivisto, Jerome Dyment, Jafar
Arkani-Hamed
Presenter. "Cretaceous Apparent Polar Wander of North America: Leisurely Stroll, but not
Standing Still." American Geophysical Union Spring Meeting, New Orleans. (May 2005) With
Gary Acton
Presenter. "Fifty Million Years of Fixed Hotspots: A New Self-Consistent Global Set of Plate
Rotations." The Annual Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA.
(Dec. 13-17, 2004) With Ravi R. Kumar, David L. Andrews, Richard G. Gordon
Presenter. "Latitudinal Shift of the Hawaiian Hotspot: Motion Relative to other Hotspots or
True Polar Wander?." The Annual Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San
Francisco, CA. (Dec. 13-17, 2004) With Richard G. Gordon & Ben Horner-Johnson
"Paleomagnetic Tests of Global Plate Circuits with Fixed and Moving Hotspots." The Annual Fall
Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA. (Dec. 13-17, 2004) With
David L. Andrews, Richard G. Gordon, & Ben Horner-Johnson
Seminar Speaker
"Thin viscous sheet models for deformation of Indo-Australian oceanic lithosphere ." Peking
University, Beijing, China. (06/20/2013)
"Thin viscous sheet models for deformation of Indo-Australian oceanic lithosphere ." School of
Geodesy and Geomatics, Wuhan University , Wuhan City, China. (06/24/2013)
"Current global plate motions: Shrinking plates and transform faults." University of Leeds,
Institute of Tectonics, Leeds, UK. (10/15/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." Graduate
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS), Beijing, China. (06/20/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." College of
Geophysics and Information Engineering, Chinese University, Beijing, China. (06/26/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." Institute of
Geology and Geophysics of Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS), Wuhan City, China.
(06/25/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." MIT EAPS
seminar, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (03/13/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." University of
Houston, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, Houston, TX. (02/15/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." Institute of
Geology and Geophysics of Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS), Beijing, China.
(06/19/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." School of
Geodesy and Geomatics, Wuhan University, Wuhan City, China. (06/24/2013)
"Global plate motions, shrinking plates, and the azimuths of transform faults." University of
Houston, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, Houston, TX. (02/15/2013)
"New tests of the fixed hotspot approximation." University of Leeds, Leeds, England.
(February 19, 2008)
"New tests of the fixed hotspot approximation." University of Florida, Gainesville. (Feb. 22,
2007)
"The torque across the India-Capricorn Diffuse Plate Boundary: The Tibetan Connection."
University of Leeds, Leeds, England. (July 2005)
Session Chair
"convenor (or co-convenor) and session chair for 5 sessions." American Geophysical Union
Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (December 2011)
Editorial Positions
Associate Editor, Lithosphere. Geological Society of America. (2011 - 2013)
Associate Editor, Lithosphere. Geological Society of America. (2010 - 2010)
Associate Editor, Terra Nova. Wiley-Blackwell. (2010 - 2010)
Associate Editor, Terra Nova. Wiley. (2011 - 2014)
Associate Editor, Terra Nova. Blackwell (for European Geoscience Union). (2007 - 2007)
Associate Editor, Terra Nova. Blackwell. (2006 - 2006)
Supervised Theses & Dissertations
David Andrews, M.A. Revised Estimates of Motion Between Hotspots. (2003) (Thesis or
Dissertation Director)
David L. Andrews, M.S. Revised Estimates and Uncertainties of Motion between Hotspots:
Implications for the Global Plate Circuit. (2004) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Catherine Cooper, Ph.D. The Thermal and Mechanical Structure of Stable Continental
Lithosphere within a Dynamic Mantle. (2005) (Committee Member)
Kartik Mutnuri, M.S. Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries: Kinematic Observations and Dynamic
Constraints. (2005) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Master of Science Horizontal Thermal Contractional Strain of Oceanic
Lithosphere: The Ultimate Limit to the Rigid Plate Hypothesis. (2006) (Thesis or Dissertation
Director)
Kartick Mutnuri, Master of Science Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries; Kinematic Observations
and Dynamic Constraints. (2006) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Ravi R. Kumar, MS Horizontal Thermal Contracctional Strain of Oceanic Lithosphere: The
Ultimate Limit to the Rigid Plate Hypothesis. (2007) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Emilia Koivisto, Ph.D. Uncertainities in the Motion of the Pacific Plate Relative to the Hotspots
over the Past 100 Million Years. (2008) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Jay Mishra, Ph.D. Finite Element Models for Horizontal Thermal Contraction of Oceanic
Lithosphere. (2008) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Jaydip Ghosh, Ph.D. Strength Paradox of Oceanic Lithosphere. (2008) (Thesis or Dissertation
Director)
Emilia Koivisto, Ph.D. Uncertainties in the Motion of the Pacific Plate relative to the hotspots
over the past 100 Million Years. (2009) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Jaydip Ghosh, Ph.D. Strength Paradox of Oceanic Lithosphere. (2009) (Thesis or Dissertation
Director)
Jay Mishra, Ph.D. Finite Element Models for Horizontal Thermal Contraction of Oceanic
Lithosphere. (2010) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Jay Kumar Mishra, Ph.D. Are Transform Faults Parallel to Plate Motion?. (2012) (Thesis or
Dissertation Director)
David Mathews, M.S. 2ND YEAR. (2013) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Lin Zheng, Ph.D. Evaluation of hotspot reference frame: current absolute plate motion from
seismic anisotropy and hotspot tracks; and Pacific apparent polar wander from the skewness
of magnetic anomaly.. (2013) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Huafeng Liu, Ph.D. Receiver-function Imaging of Crustal Seismic Anisotropy & the base of
Lithosphere beneath China. (2013) (Committee Member)
David Mathews, M.S. 1ST YEAR. (2013) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
David Mathews, M.S. Do Trenches Advance? An Updated Analysis Incorporating Absolute Plate
Velocities from Shear Wave Splitting, MORVEL Relative Plate Velocities, and Combined
Uncertainties. (2014) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Alexandra Kirshner, Ph.D. The Glacial Retreat History of Pine Island Bay since the Last Glacial
Maximum. (2015) (Committee Member)
Svetlana Burris, PhD Plate tectonics, lithosphere deformation, and paleo-magnetics: studies in
the Indian and Pacific Oceans.. (2017) (Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Awards, Prizes, & Fellowships
2 papers selected in the Top 40 papers in the first 40 years of GRL, Editors of GRL (2014)
Highly Cited Researcher, ISI/Thomson Scientific (2002)
Arthur L. Day Medal, Geological Society of America (2002)
Birch Lecturer, Tectonophysics Section, American Geophysical Union (1998)
Macelwane Medal, American Geophysical Union (1989)
Positions Held
President-Elect - Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Section, American Geophysical Union.
(2010 - 2012)
Search Committee Member, Editor in Chief for Reviews of Geophysics. (2014 - 2014)
President-Elect, Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Section, American Geophysical Union.
(2010 - 2010)
President-Elect (followed by President), Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Section of the
American Geophysical Union. (2009 - 2009)
Geophysics Program Panelist, NSF. (2009 - 2011)
Member, Bylaws Task Force, American Geophysical Union. (2013 - 2013)
Council Member, American Geophysical Union. (2010 - 2014)
Member, Council Leadership Team (CLT), American Geophysical Union. (2013 - 2014)
Member, Editor-in-Chief Search Committee, Reviews of Geophysics, American Geophysical
Union. (2013 - 2013)
President, Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Section, American Geophysical Union. (2013 2014)
Chair, Geodesy Section Fellows Committee, American Geophysical Union. (2002 - 2002)