Closure of the Africa‐Eurasia‐North America Plate motion circuit and tectonics of the Gloria Fault

TLDR: In this paper, the current motions of the African, Eurasian, and North American plates are examined, including whether there is resolvable motion of a Spitsbergen microplate, the direction of motion between the African and North America plates, whether the Gloria fault is an active transform fault, and the implications of plate circuit closures for rates of intraplate deformation.

Abstract: The current motions of the African, Eurasian, and North American plates are examined. The problems addressed include whether there is resolvable motion of a Spitsbergen microplate, the direction of motion between the African and North American plates, whether the Gloria fault is an active transform fault, and the implications of plate circuit closures for rates of intraplate deformation. Marine geophysical data and magnetic profiles are used to construct a model which predicts about 4 mm/yr slip across the Azores-Gibraltar Ridge, and west-northwest convergence near Gibraltar. The analyzed data are consistent with a rigid plate model with the Gloria fault being a transform fault.