Test of the New True Polar Wander Path Using Recent Paleolatitude Data of Louisville Hotspot

Abstract:

A new true polar wander path model is constructed by gathering global apparent poler wander
path data and new set of plate absolute motion models such as the Pacific plate and
African plate using polygonal finite rotation method (Harada and Hamano, 2000) which
assume no inter-hotspot motions. The new model of absolute motion of the African plate
is significantly different from other models of African plate, and that produces a
significant difference for new true polar wander path model also.

The new true polar wander path model can be regarded as a motion of the paleomagnetic pole
relative to the global hotspot reference frame, therefore, we can directly estimate
theoretical paleolatitudes of rock samples from every seamounts that is created by
fixed hotspots. The paleolatitude data of the Hawaiian hotspot (Tarduno et al., 2003)
are perfectly explained by the new true polar wander path model since 70Ma.
We investigated a new paleomagnetic data sets of Louisville hotspot (Koppers et al., 2012)
with the theoretical paleolatitudes from the new true polar wander path model.
Paleolatitudinal change of Site U1377 (50Ma), U1376 (64.1Ma), U1373 (69.5Ma), and Site U1372
(74.2Ma) is decreasing about 10 degrees, and that is in harmony with the theoretical
paleolatitudinal change by the model.

To conclude from this analysis, recent paleomagnetic data set of the Pacific hotspots are in favor
of no significant inter-hotspot motions of global plate circuit.