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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling
Published on: August 5, 2016
50-Ma initiation of Hawaiian-Emperor bend records major change in Pacific plate motion
Warren D Sharp1, David A Clague
1Berkeley Geochronology Center, 2455 Ridge Road, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA. wsharp@bgc.org
Abstract:
The Hawaiian-Emperor bend has played a prominent yet controversial role in deciphering past Pacific plate motions and the tempo of plate motion change. New ages for volcanoes of the central and southern Emperor chain define large changes in volcanic migration rate with little associated change in the chain's trend, which suggests that the bend did not form by slowing of the Hawaiian hot spot. Initiation of the bend near Kimmei seamount about 50 million years ago (MA) was coincident with realignment of Pacific spreading centers and early magmatism in western Pacific arcs, consistent with formation of the bend by changed Pacific plate motion.
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