True Polar Wander on Dynamic Planets: Approximative Methods vs. Full Solution

TL;DR

This paper compares approximate methods and full solutions for modeling true polar wander on dynamic planets, revealing that certain assumptions are valid for fast rotators like Earth but need revision for slower planets like Venus.

Contribution

It provides a full numerical solution to the governing equations of TPW, clarifies the assumptions behind the w||MMOI approximation, and offers a new computational tool for planetary studies.

Findings

The rotation axis aligns with the maximum principal axis of inertia after damping of free oscillations.

The w||MMOI assumption stems from neglecting Coriolis and Euler forces, not just viscoelastic simplifications.

Previous TPW estimates for slow rotators like Venus should be revisited based on full LE analysis.

Abstract

Almost three decades ago, the problem of long term polar wander on a dynamic planet was formulated and simplified within the framework of normal mode theory. The underlying simplifications have been debated ever since, recently in a series of papers by Hu et al. 2017a, 2017b, and 2019, who clarify the role of neglecting short-term relaxation modes of the body. However, the authors still do not solve the governing equations in full, because they make approximations to the Liouville equation (LE). In this paper I use a time domain approach and for previously studied test loads I solve both the relaxation of the body and the LE in full. I also compute the energy balance of true polar wander (TPW) in order to analyze the existing LE approximations. For fast rotating bodies such as the Earth, I show that the rotation axis is always aligned with the maximum principal axis of inertia (w||MMOI) once free oscillations are damped. The w||MMOI assumption is also re-derived theoretically. Contrary to previous beliefs, I demonstrate that it is not necessarily linked to the quasi-fluid simplification of the body's viscoelastic response to loading and rotation, but that it is an expression of neglecting the Coriolis and Euler forces in the equation of motion. For slowly rotating bodies such as Venus, the full LE together with energy analysis indicate that previous estimates of TPW in the normal direction need to be revisited. The numerical code LIOUSHELL is made freely available.