Cenozoic history of North Atlantic surface motions: Implications for asthenosphere flow processes

Mantle convection is a fundamental process that shapes Earth’s surface, as it provides driving and resisting forces for horizontal motions of tectonic plates, as well as for inducing non-isostatic vertical motion --- commonly termed “dynamic topography”. Growing geologic constraints of past plate motion variations and dynamic topography have led to better understanding of the history of mantle flow induced surface expression. Ultimately, the existence of a thin, mechanically weak asthenosphere allows geodynamicists to link such observables to mantle flow properties in the context of Couette/Poiseuille flow. Here we utilize publicly available geological and geophysical data sets to study Cenozoic plate kinematic changes and the spatial-temporal evolution of dynamic topography in the North Atlantic region. We employ quantitative, analytical Couette/Poiseuille flow models to link the inferred surface motion history to asthenosphere flow properties underneath. Our efforts aim at disentangling the role of asthenospheric channelized flow in influencing the Cenozoic surface expression of North Atlantic region.