Paleomagnetic Reference Frame

Paleomagnetism, after morphology and geology, provided key evidence for the great precursor of plate tectonics — continental drift. One of the great hopes with plate tectonics was for paleomagnetism to provide additional kinematic constraints. Alas, the very processes apparently involved in generation of the geomagnetic field conspire against providing the kind of high-resolution information the kinematicist would want. The question of the relation of polar wander curves to hotspot reference frames is a corollary. Even though high resolution is not possible, it is still worthwhile comparing paleomagnetic observations with the hotspot frame.