Richard G. Gordon (born 1953) is an American geophysicist, known for his research on global tectonics, including global plate motions and palaeomagnetism. He is noteworthy for leading two global plate motion projects: NUVEL (Northwestern University Velocity) and MORVEL (Mid-Ocean Ridge Velocity).[1][2][3][4][5] In the geosciences, NUVEL and MORVEL are standard models for global plate motions.[1]
^Gripp, Alice E.; Gordon, Richard G. (1990). "Current plate velocities relative to the hotspots incorporating the NUVEL-1 global plate motion model". Geophysical Research Letters. 17 (8): 1109–1112. Bibcode:1990GeoRL..17.1109G. doi:10.1029/GL017i008p01109.