The Problem of Vortical Movements in the Solid Earth
and Their Role in Geotectonics

E. G. Mirlin

Vernadsky State Geological Museum, Russian Academy of Sciences, Mokhovaya ul. 11, korp. 2, Moscow, 125009 Russia

e-mail: egm@sgm.ru

Received December 19, 2005

Abstract—Crustal structural features having a vortical or spiral shape were discovered in the first third of the
20th century. Since then, such features of various ranks, but similar appearance, have been revealed in different
geotectonic settings; however, an adequate tectonic interpretation has not been offered. With allowance for the
specific character of vortical movement, the evolution of the structural geometry of the North Atlantic basins
and different segments of the global system of mid-ocean ridges is considered in this paper. It is shown that
vortical movements do take place in the solid Earth during ocean formation and create scale-invariant rifting
and spreading systems, where the spreading axis tends to undergo whirling. The size of these systems differs
by more than two orders of magnitude. Many geotectonic phenomena that accompany the formation of oceans,
including segmentation of the ocean floor and passive continental margins, folding of the sedimentary cover at
these margins, and tectonic delamination of the oceanic lithosphere, may be explained by vortical movements
of different ranks. In addition, the vortical structures on continents are variable in size and related to lithotec-
tonic complexes of different ages. The vortical structural units of the Mediterranean Belt are considered as an
example. Being driven by the same physical mechanism, the vortical movements depend on the dynamics of
different geospheres. These movements are realized only in a nonlinear, nonequilibrium medium. Hence, only
nonlinear and nonequilibrium thermodynamics will serve as a theoretical basis for a new concept, which is
coming currently to take the place of plate tectonics.

DOI: 10.1134/S0016852106040030

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