Plate Motion Calculator

Plate Motion Calculator calculates the relative and absolute plate motion direction and speed at any point on the earth. The original web-based calculator was developed by K. Tamaki in mid 90's and then has been revised/maintained by K. Okino.

Select plate motion model, plate (or a pair of plates), input latitude and longitude of the point, and then press [Execute calculation] button.

* angular velocity vector of JdF plate is fixed (2021.1.18).

Plate Model

Left: NUVEL-1(A)_____________________________ Right: MORVEL

Moving Plate

Fixed Plate (not used in absolute models)

Latitude [deg] north: positive(+) south: negative (-)

Longitude [deg] east: positive(+) west: negative (-)

References of Models

NUVEL-1: DeMets, C., R. G. Gordon, D. F. Argus, and S. Stein, Current plate motions, Geophys. J. Int., 101, 425-478, 1990.; (Relative Motion Model, Pacific Plate fixed, 2 m.y. average velocity)
NUVEL-1A: DeMets. C., R. G. Gordon, D. F. Argus, and S. Stein, Effect of recent revisions to the geomagnetic reversal time scale on estimate of current plate motions, Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 21, no. 20, 2191-2194, 1994.; (Revised version of NUVEL-1, Euler poles are same); [Note 1] Model parameters for Philippine Sea Plate are based on Seno et al. (JGR, 1993); [Note 2] Velocities calculated based on NUVEL-1 and NUVEL-1A may be 4.5% and 2% faster than those measured by space geodetic methods by using VLBI/SLR (Gordon, Nature 1993)
MORVEL: DeMets, C., R. G. Gordon, and D. F. Argus, Geologically current plate motions, Geophys. J. Int., 181, 1-80, 2010; (Relative Motion Model, Pacific Plate fixed. New model for 25 tectonic plates, mid-ocean ridge spreading rates and faults azimuths are used to determine the motions of 19 plates, and GPS station velocities and azimuthal data are used for 6 smaller plates with little or no connection to mid-ocean ridges)
NNR-NUVEL-1A: DeMets. C., R. G. Gordon, D. F. Argus, and S. Stein, Effect of recent revisions to the geomagnetic reversal time scale on estimate of current plate motions, Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 21, no. 20, 2191-2194, 1994.; (Absolute Motion Model, No net rotation)
HS3-NUVEL-1A: Gripp, A.E., and Gordon, R.G., Young tracks of hotspots and current plate velocities, Geophys. J. Int., 150, 321-361, 2002.; (Absolute Motion Model, hotspot reference frame)
NNR-MORVEL: Argus, D.F., Gordon, R.G and DeMets, C. Geologically current motion of 56 plates relative to the no-net rotation reference frame, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems , 12, doi:10.1029/2011GC00375., 2011.; Bird, P. An updated digital model of plate boundaries, Geochemisty, Geophysics, Geosystems, 4, 1027, doi:10.1029/2001GC000252, 2003.; (Absolute Motion Model, No net rotation, for MORVEL 25 plates and Bird(2003)'s 31 plates)

Used Equations

rotation vector

MωF= MωP - FωP = (ωx, ωy, ωz)

rotation pole

plat = atan(ωz / sqrt (ωx*ωx+ωy*ωy))
plon = atan(ωy/ωx)

rotation rate

rate = sqrt(ωx*ωx+ωy*ωy*+ωz*ωz)

velocity at a point (tlat, tlon)

Vew = radius * cos (tlat)*rate*(sin(plat)-cos(plat)*tan(tlat)*cos(plon-tlon))
Vns = radius * rate * cos(plat)*sin(tlon-plon)
Velocity = sqrt (Vew*Vew + Vns*Vns)
Direction = atan(Vew/Vns)

Last revised: 16 January, 2018: bug report to okino at aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp