Re: Owen's Two-Phase Model of Earth Expansion

From: Matt (matt.edwards_at_utoronto.ca)
Date: 03/04/05 

Date: 4 Mar 2005 07:37:37 -0800

"Carsten Troelsgaard" <carsten.troelsgaard@mail.dk> wrote in message news:<4226f403$0$191$edfadb0f@dread11.news.tele.dk>...

> I believe one of the EE's favoured points is, that the marine sediments on
> the crust is the EE evidence that earth indeed was different then
> (continents had the ocean on top, not next to it). A thorough oceanic earth
> does, by and large, not erode and deposit at all; compared to the present
> situation. It obviously did, but I hardly dare consider the relief and the
> gradients, a rugged earth for sure.

Not quite following you here. In EE we would say that in the initial
phases the Earth's crust was entirely continental (sial) crust. It
was more water-covered than today's crust, but gradually emerged over
time (especially in slow EE). Erosion could have taken place once
enough basins were present for sediments to be deposited in.

> What do they gain by such a construction? Continental rocks, sima, wouldn't
> it basicly have been placed and composed 'as is' and express a factual
> decompression of heavier rock at an earlier period and thus loose the
> observed incentive for the earth to expand by evolving lighter rocks? It's
> often been pointed out, that the 'lighter rock evolved' is not continental
> as it preferentially places itself as a heavy oceanic rock.

You're saying that lighter 'continental' rocks tend to form or be
deposited on older rocks, which then become denser rocks. But ocean
crust is formed in situ as more dense rock than the sial rock. This
process is ongoing. Now some continental rocks are added
volcanically, but in general the EE picture of lighter continental
blocks being uplifted by newly formed rocks of heavier density is
quite simple, even elementary. You might find the paper by Weijermars
interesting.

> I squinted at the online presentation of Owen's model of expansion. He
> places plasma in the core with a reference to physicists for details. I did
> then look for Owen's own credentials since he respects professionalism, but
> he did not present himself. I have some preconsieved notions and no real
> knowledge on plasma, but wouldn't it's eledged presence (however unlikely)
> be a result of compression and heat rather than a course for the uppersit?
> Is there any scientific rationale for plasma to aggregate in space as a
> precurser for planets?
>
> Carsten

Where did you find Owen's work online? In his papers he is listed as
being at the British Museum of Natural History. Is that credentials
enough for you? In any case, I don't find the plasma core idea that
compelling.

Matt

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Burgess Shale college project
    ... Not all subduction occurs at ... that when oceanic crust hit continental crust it sank because it is ... All of these situations can result in oceanic sedimentary rocks becoming ... to the edges of the continents, because nearly all this sea ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Owens Two-Phase Model of Earth Expansion
    ... >> Assuming that the continents were at the elevations then that they are now. ... > in the area exposed by the cracks in the original crust. ... the only requirement for sedimentary rocks to form is a shallow sea ... > I think you mentioned to Carsten that the ocean water was added after ...
    (sci.geo.geology)
  • Scripps/UCSD geophysicist among international team finding evidence of first plate tectonics
    ... Observations indicate that plate tectonics began before any currently known ... Identification of the oldest preserved pieces of Earth's crust in southern ... The Isua rocks are ... evidence of the earliest bacterial life on Earth, ...
    (sci.geo.geology)
  • Re: falsification - trying again - no slide rules please.
    ... Earth double in radius, surface area, or volume? ... I'm using the maxim of plate tectonics (that the continental crust is ... You say that the Earth used to be small, like an orange, but now is ... in the interiors of those two continents over the past 400 million years. ...
    (sci.geo.geology)
  • Re: Owens Two-Phase Model of Earth Expansion
    ... > continents are not sialic at all. ... Granted there is a lot of diversity in the continental rocks, ... than ocean crust. ... >> enough basins were present for sediments to be deposited in. ...
    (sci.geo.geology)