Formation of Basins with Coriolis Rotation

Avery Island salt dome, Louisiana

Basin Formation from Coriolis cell rotation
Coriolis force, rotating portions of the Earth’s crust, forms circular cells in the crust of continents, and simultaneously creates basins and uplifts on opposite sides of those cells.
The mechanism is as follows:



ong>This is an interpreted version of the Hurricane fault, near the town of Hurricane, UT. See the following photo for the unedited Google Earth map.

In the case of a rising magma (or salt domes), in the northern hemisphere, the tendency to move to the right results in a CW spin to the crust. This affects the cover rock, causing it to rotate CW also, and the process creates shear zones on the perimeter of the circular configuration. When there is a crustal thickness difference on one side of the shear circle, compared to the other side, the thicker crust rotates faster (greater mass over the Asthenosphere results in increased forced rotation rate) and compresses the slower-moving portion. This creates an uplift or mountain range, while the lagging portion results in a basin or depression (graben) on the opposite of the shearing circle.

A photo of the Grass Valley basaltic flow is shown above. This flow originated above Hf, falling down the slope created by Hf and the monocline to the west. This action resulted from the compression of CW rotation from the east overtaking the slower rotation of the thinner crust to the west (with the continujous CW movenent).

Slickensides, which yield a record of relative movements of rocks sliding along a shear zone face, show that a portion of Hf fell while being dragged westward. The result is a slanting trace or groove on the south-facing scarp- which shows the direction of movement laterally (as well as downwardly).
The cases of larger rotating cells- as with the Colorado Plateau, CP- show that the same thing happens, whenever the base is heated. Then the shearing circumference effects vulcanism from the excess heat (from both the basal heat and friction from shear). For CP, the result is a clockwise advance of volcanoes, relative to the CCW rotation of the perimeter. CP has had vulcanism commence at the Rio Grande rift and proceed westward at the southern edge, CW, since the Oligocene- resulting in a geothermal anomaly under St. George, UT now.




Relatively flat terrain such as in the Texas oil country, exhibits a Coriolis rotating cell also. The result for this large cell is uplift at Round Mountain, near Austin, and the Atchafalaya Basin in SW Louisiana. In between lie many oil basins, which sink to varying degrees according to the thickness of the crust beneath. The ratio of the length of the basins, which parallel the rotating cell, to the diameter of the cell is about 1:10; that is, for a 30 mile basin, the diameter of the cell is about 300 miles.
This feature was discovered for a volcanic magma chamber near the Hurricane fault, and subsequently searched in other volcanic areas of the west. When these rotating cells were noticed in all part of the various continents, as evidenced by areas where I had some geological experience- Turkey, AZ, NM, and the Puget Sound, WA- I began to categorize them. Mountainous country where there was considerable difference in crustal thickness exhibited easily found cells, while flatter country exhibited more subtle cells. The cells are easily found by searching for arcuate-shaped river valleys. Further substantiation is found by looking on either side of the cell to find the resulting graben, or basin-depression, and uplift.

Pasque (Easter)

Pasque (Easter)
We cannot divorce ourselves from the gods of the Past-
They live on, partly because of their having some connection to real events or activities in the Universe. In this case, the Moon influences all who observe the relation of their crops to the annual cycle. Farmers in my home state of Arkansas would plant according to the phase of the moon. But since Science has shown that the sun is the source of our sustenance, via Light- the ultimate energy- we are no longer Moonstruck.
Now we relegate the moon to lovers and wolf lore. Everyone having a pet animal finds the connection to the animal world (the dog is our bridge) in the behavior we now categorize as Psychology.
But the Moon is still there in our Psyche- exerting its force on woman and her cycle. Possibly Men ignore it, except through courtship, forgetting that their week is re-started on Monday. Sunday is the real start of the week, after all, and we think that our drive for the week is related to the solar infusion of energy.
Easter is based on reality, even though the Church has subverted the original connection with the Moon and the Vernal Equinox. Although the Equinox is determined by the Sun’s light crossing the plane of the Ecliptic (the plane made by the annual revolution of the Earth about the Sun), it is really the tilt of the Earth in relation to the Equinox that determines the first day of spring. This event is real for us, because of its influence over all things exposed to Light. Our gardens depend upon this infusion of energy, and although we do not immediately relate to Solar Energy in this time of artificiality, the influence is there constantly.
Although the popular saying now is that Man and Woman are separated such as Venus and Mars, they really are influenced separately by the Sun and the Moon. Man lives by the manipulation of the Sun’s energy, while the warmer conventions of Life are carried through Woman.
But the Moon has not the same cycle, or even a harmonic of the Sun’s cycle. A solar year is near 365 ¼ days, for our annual revolution about the Ecliptic, while the moon’s cycle is near 29 ½ rotations. The Moon is always facing us, due to its bulge locked onto the eternal gravitational attraction to Earth, so we see only 28 rotations of the Earth in one Moon revolution. But the not seen rotation is one made while rotating exactly once while making one revolution. Although 30 days goes into 360 day year 12 times, for a 12 month year, 28.5 into 365.25 yields 12.8+ cycles, for the Moon. If we have a real conflict, the reason is due to the Moon changing positions relative to the sun continually.
My connection to Easter was via the Pasque Flower (genus Pulsatilla), which bloomed regularly near the start of spring, right out from under the edge of the snow. When I would open the mountain cabin, there it would be waiting for me. Although it has a striking pale blue bloom, it is toxic and was used by the Blackfoot Indians to induce childbirth (another strange connection with the Moon and the 9 month gestation cycle).
Easter has a nomenclature derived from the sun goddess- who dominates the morning sun (in the east). Other arbitrary affiliations include the Jewish Passover and the time of religious events. The only real significance is the relation to the Vernal equinox on March 21, but the relation of the crucifixion and the full moon has fixed it in our culture.

Live by the Sun, Aspire by the Moon

Although the solar rays effect vitality for me,
The Lunar Tides create my Spirituality.
How the Crescent beams tug upon my Psyche-
Monthly diverting me from the Material.

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upsharsin, goes my Soul-
The rational making a schism from my Self.
But the Moon slyly resonates from within-
Yearning, yearning, ever yearning for Spiritual Harmony.

Therein lies the rub-
The Annual cycle of Life perturbs the Menstrual
We cycle off the Moon, while sustaining from the Sun-
A conflict ensuing from Lunar Chance.

Eastward, eastward go the Tides,
Slyly rotating through the Flesh-
Dexterously moving all that matters Dextrally,
Until the Dust, to which all things return.

Harness, harness- use consistently the Will,
To positively go towards fickle Destiny-
Creating against forever-beckoning avarice,
The Solace of the Soul.

Harold L. Overton