Stability of the Earth with respect to the spin axis for the last 130 million years

Recently continental paleomagnetic data rotated into a hotspot reference frame have been used to suggest the Earth rotated 18 degrees with respect to the spin axis at 110 Ma. We test this true polar wander (TPW) hypothesis using paleomagnetic data from widespread granitic rocks of cratonal North America. These data conflict with TPW predictions leading to rejection of the hypothesis. The calculated polar displacement is instead consistent with motion of the Atlantic hotspots during the mid-Cretaceous. This analysis suggests that the time-averaged position of the spin axis has deviated by no more than similar to 5 degrees over the last 130 million yr, indicating that mantle mass heterogeneities have not changed rapidly enough to drive TPW. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.