The Analysis of Diffuse Triple Junction Zones in Plate Tectonics and the Pirate Model of Western Caribbean Tectonics

<p>Introduction.- Western Caribbean Tectonics.- Abstract.-Tectonic constraints.- Theoretical analysis of Western Caribbean tectonics.- Western Caribbean Plate corners.- Relative Plate motions.- Western Caribbean arc deformation style.- Review of Western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico tectonics.- Shortening at the Eastern Caribbean Plate boundary.- Extension conjugate to Eastern Caribbean shortening.- Displacements at the Western Caribbean Plate corners.- Western Caribbean microplates.- Discussion.- Consistency with known data.- Predictive Power.- A new, multi-mode model for Western Caribbean tectonics.- The Chortis Block controversy.- Neo-Caribbean tectonics.- Meeting of the Americas.- Age of Gulf of Mexico opening.- A geodynamic model for the Western Caribbean region.- Conclusions.- References.- Normalization analysis for possibly unstable triple junction zones.- Abstract.- Introduction.- Step 1: Define a doubly-tangent, moving Euclidean tectonic reference frame.- Step 2: Determine compatibility of major plate motions and plate boundary orientations.- Step 3: Determine the stability of the normalized, hypothetical triple junction.- Step 4: Identify end-member nonrigid solutions for an unstable triple junction.- References.</p>