Rapid TPW Episodes (Tonian / Jurassic Monster Shift)
mechanism
Even Earth's fastest-ever known wobbles of its whole crust took millions of years -- never a single day.
Who they are
Rapid True Polar Wander episodes, specifically an ancient Tonian-era shift and a Jurassic 'monster shift' studied in geophysics.
What they do
These are the fastest documented cases of Earth's solid outer layers slowly rotating relative to the spin axis.
How it works
Even labeled 'rapid,' the Tonian episode moved about 55 degrees over roughly 10 million years, and the Jurassic shift moved a couple degrees per million years -- with plate speeds capped around 19-20 cm per year.
Why it matters
It's a peer-reviewed reality check: the fastest real polar wander unfolds over millions of years, decisively ruling out any single-day catastrophic pole flip.
The engine's record — word for word
Geologically 'rapid' TPW still spans Myr: Tonian (832-821 Ma) cumulative 54.7+/-13.9 degrees at 3.5-7.8 deg/Ma; Jurassic 'monster shift' (160-145 Ma) up to 2.0-2.5 deg/Myr. Plate speed limits ~19-20 cm/yr. Even the fastest real polar wander is millions of years, never a single day. [TIER GEOPHYSICS-PEER-REVIEW] [Report #103 (ECDO)]
Follow the trail
Walk this on the live map →