Re: Earth's Slowing Rotation - The underlying cause of Earthquakes, etc.

From: don findlay (don_at_tower.net.au)
Date: 01/07/05 

Date: 6 Jan 2005 17:42:41 -0800

rick++ wrote:
> Wrong. The earth is slowly broiling due to release of heat.
> The rocks convect and carry the crust along causing earthquakes.

That's a real Palaeo-view, Rick. Plate tectonics says (currently) that
convection is driven by cold desceding slabs ("Slab Pull"). The
resulting "ambient uplift" of the mantle - a bit like putting your hand
in the sink and watching the water level rise - is consequent. What
you're talking about is what plate tectonics *used to say*, till they
realised that would mean the wake was pushing the boat. So now it is
not the hot interior, but the coldness of space, that's doing it. Hank
with his interest in upper atmosphere physics, will set you right. He
knows about these things, more than you (and me) anyhow, I'll bet. Not
Stuart though, Stuart's big on the interior heat of the Earth, because
of what he can do with all the rubber numbers, though sometimes he
hedges his bets, saying that cooling on the outside is the same as
heating on the inside when it comes to convection.

Why don't you get with the new view, which says that the mantle is
growing, not moving at all? And ponder a reason why this might be
happening? Because geologically speaking, and regardless of the
problems it might cause imagination there's no doubt that growth has it
over movement.

Relevant Pages

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