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From: cipher@mmm.UUCP (Andre Guirard)
Newsgroups: sci.misc
Subject: Re: alternative to plate tectonics
Message-ID: <1140@mmm.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Dec-86 10:20:42 EST
Article-I.D.: mmm.1140
Posted: Thu Dec 11 10:20:42 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 16-Dec-86 00:56:11 EST
References: <531@weitek.UUCP> <1272@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <648@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk> <1002@lcuxlm.UUCP>
Reply-To: cipher@mmm.UUCP (Andre Guirard)
Organization: Software & Electronics Resource Center/3M
Lines: 27
Keywords: plate tectonics, continental drift

>In article <648@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk>, ma_jpb@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk (Bennett) writes:
> 
> There is a problem with tectonic plate theory and continental drift due to the
> conservation of energy. Consider the theory that the Himalayas are caused by
> the Indian plate hitting the Asiatic plate... Although the
> Indian plate is large it moves exceedingly slowly...
> Calculation would suggest that within an order of magnitude the
> Himalayas should be one millimetre high.... 

This would indeed be a serious problem if the proposed mechanism
causing continental drift was that the plates have leftover momentum
from some past disaster and are bouncing off each other like billiard
balls.  It becomes evident with only a little thought that that would
be a silly assertion, since the mantle is much thicker than lemon
custard, and would slow them to a stop in no time (geologically
speaking).

   In fact, I believe the theory goes that the plates are moved by
convection currents in the chewy liquid center of the Earth, these
currents being caused by heat generated by the decay of radioactive
elements.  There's a _lot_ more energy than just the momentum of the
crustal plates involved.
-- 
  /'C`\	 TWALG ASHALC RITMOHF.			Andre Guirard
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