Generation of the Stressed State of the Lithosphere of the Earth and Mars Caused by the Reorientation of Their Figures

Abstract

The computer simulation of the reorientation of the Earth and Mars lithosphere figure has been performed, which due to the dynamic redistribution of masses, allowed to reveal certain regularities of the structure-forming processes. It has been shown that the shape of the lithosphere surface has a different orientation relatively to the geoids’ (aroids) figure. This causes redistribution of masses leading to a strained state of the lithosphere as a result of endogenous and gravitational-rotational forces action in the evolutionary processes of planet’s self-development. The solution of this problem is considered on the example of lithosphere surface heights approximation by a biaxial ellipsoid with seven parameters. The acting horizontal forces in the upper shell of the planet has been calculated, introducing the concept of “evolutionary deviation of the plumb” and assuming that the tangential forces are proportional to the angle, which is defined as the angle between the direction of the plumb line in the past geological epoch and the plumb line direction at a given point. The calculated fields of tangential force vectors show good consistency with the direction of space-time displacement of Earth’s continents and tectonic plates and consistent with the results of the horizontal movements of GNSS stations. This is quite convincing evidence that under the long-term action of vortex rotationalgravitational forces, the lithospheres masses acquire the properties of creep. All this leads to the fact that interacting blocks and plates within the vortex rotational-gravitational model can be interconnected to elastic fields that creates a single planetary geodynamic field that forms the evolutionary state of the geo-environment.