Resurrection of Tectonic Plate in Canada might give deep insights into earth: Study

A study published in the journal Geological Society of America Bulletin, titled as ‘Raising the Resurrection plate from an unfolded-slab plate tectonic reconstruction of northwestern North America since early Cenozoic time’ highlights that a resurrection of 60 million old Tectonic plate in Canada might give deep insights into earth. As a part of the study, a group of geologists from the University of Houston College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics claimed to have found the ‘elusive plate’ by analysing mantle tomography images. Through this elusive plate, the geologists believe that one can predict volcanic eruptions as well as mineral and hydrocarbon deposits. 

A new revelation 

The study says, “We present a fully kinematic, plate tectonic reconstruction of the NW Cordillera since 60 Ma built by structurally unfolding subducted slabs, imaged by mantle tomography, back to Earth’s surface. We map in three-dimensions the attached Alaska and Cascadia slabs, and a detached slab below western Yukon (Canada) at 400−600 km depth that we call the “Yukon Slab”. Professor from the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Jonny Wu, applied the slab unfolding along with geology doctoral student, Spencer Fuston. This technique helped them in reconstructing the tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean. 

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Subducted plates were extracted and then stretched to their original shape by the process of  slab unfolding process and 3D mapping. Also, sunk plates were raised back to the surface using the process of digital reconstruction. The study says, “In this model, the Yukon slab represents a thermally eroded remnant of the Resurrection plate. Our reconstructions support a “northern option” Farallon ridge geometry and allow up to ∼1200 km Chugach terrane translation since Paleocene time, providing a new “tomographic piercing point” for the Baja-British Columbia debate”. Through this, boundaries of the ancient Resurrection tectonic plate were found and it was concluded that they matched well with the ancient volcanic belts around Washington. This contributed into the evidence of plate’s existence.

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(Image Credits: Pixabay)