Paleoceanographic Mapping Project (POMP): Research Goals, Methods, and Future Plans (Paleoceanographic Mapping Project Report No. 02-1184)

The goal of the Paleoceanographic Mapping Project is to produce a global, computer model of plate motions during the last 200 million years. The basis of this computer model will be a new compilation and synthesis of linear magnetic anomaly data, ocean floor bathymetry, and continental margin tectonics. The most novel aspect of this project is the use of interactive computer graphics to reconstruct the ocean basins and to dynamically illustrate the plate tectonic solutions through computer animations. This report, and the accompanying progress report, describe the work that was done during the initial phase of the Paleoceanographic Mapping Project (POMP) as well as our plans for the next several years. Also described are the resources available at the Institute for Geophysics, University of Texas, the methods we will employ in achieving our goals, and the products that will be available to sponsors of the project.