Britain's not old!

[Orlion]

It is only about 8000 years old! Before that, it was a peninsula! I think that's pretty interesting.

Here's the link:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12244964

[Avatar]

Interesting article.

--A

[SerScot]

Orlion,

Thanks for posting that. I'm such a Geology groupy. Y'all are aware that much of the Indonesian archepelgo used to be the tip of a huge peninsula, right?

[Orlion]

Orlion,

Thanks for posting that. I'm such a Geology groupy. Y'all are aware that much of the Indonesian archepelgo used to be the tip of a huge peninsula, right?

I did not. Was it separated in a similar manner? I've actually always wanted to know more about geology than I do, any suggested reading?

[High Lord Tolkien]

I'm 37.

[SerScot]

Orlion,

I don't know how it was sperated. I don't know if any research has be done on the speration. I've picked that up by simply looking at speculative maps of the Earth during the most recent Ice Age.

This is a map of the Earth at the end of the last Ice Age:

www.scotese.com/lastice.htm

I really like this particular website.

[Orlion]

Hmmm.... I wonder if glacial isostatic adjustment is responsible. I don't think it would lower the land mass, but it's said that as glaciers recede, ocean levels rise.

It's interesting that it looks like New Zealand was a part of Australia also.

[Orlion]

BAM!

When the sea level rose as the result of melting ice north of Europe and the American continent, many islands emerged, including the Indonesian archipelago.

[High Lord Tolkien]

That ice sheet on the North American section was so massive/heavy it "bent" the earth's crust to a degree.
Now that the ice is gone the Earth is fixing itself and the Great Lakes and many rivers are going to change greatly.
That was a lot of ice!

[Orlion]

I wonder how much of Yellowstone's rising land is due to post-glacial rebound and how much is due to the pressure of the supervolcano (which apparently moves) beneath?

edit: seems that modern examples of post-glacial rebound is at 11 mm per year. Yellow stone rises at 7 cm. So not much)

[SerScot]

Orlion,

I'm actually interested in the "Traps" associated with major extinction events around the globe. The Siberian Traps and the Deccian Traps correspond respectively to the Permian/Triassic Extinction (the Great Dying) and the Cretaceous /Tertiary Extinction (killed the Dinosaurs). One speculation is that immediately following a major impact event on the opposite side of the globe from the impact the energy generated by the impact forms a major, but temporary hot spot causing the formation of the "Traps".

So, not only does the Earth have to deal with the immediate effects of the impact but the huge uptick in vulcanism cause by the impact.

Here's an interesting article about the Siberian traps and the P/T extinction:

palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Essays/wipeout/default.html