Open AccessWestward drift of the lithosphere: not a result of rotational drag
Author(s) -
Ranalli Giorgio
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-246x.2000.00091.x
Subject(s) - asthenosphere , lithosphere , geology , geophysics , drag , angular velocity , toroid , geodesy , mechanics , seismology , physics , classical mechanics , tectonics , plasma , quantum mechanics
It is shown that any non‐zero torque resulting from differences in angular velocity between individual shells in the Earth would be an extremely short transient phenomenon as a consequence of the viscosity of the asthenosphere. Consequently, it cannot be a factor in the origin of the toroidal velocity field of degree one (‘westward drift’) of the lithosphere.