Figure 6.

Sequential reconstruction of hypothetical sketch area from Figure 2, illustrating criteria for goodness of fit. (a) Plates defined in Figure 2b, with ignored feature Z removed. This is the final step of the reconstruction sequence, and the other panels go back in time to the original surface. (b) Reconstruction of convergence along feature Y by moving a plate consisting of 5 and 6 to the right; inferred material of older features lost during convergence is shown in gray outlines. (c) Reconstruction of divergence along feature X by moving a plate consisting of 2, 4, and 6 up; complete closure of this boundary brings older features back into alignment. (d) Reconstruction of right‐lateral slip along feature W by moving a plate consisting of 3–6 up; the original surface before plate motion is now reconstructed. Note that the left‐lateral arrows on this panel to reconstruct backward in time are undoing the right‐lateral slip that must have occurred forward in time.