What is isostasy? How does isostasy affect the placement of oceanic crust versus continental crust?

What will be an ideal response?


Isostasy is the explanation for the vertical position of Earth's crust. Due to isostasy, crust achieves a vertical position such that the force of gravity equals the buoyant force acting on it. Oceanic crust is denser so it floats lower in the mantle than continental crust.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

You might also like to view...

The Devonian system refers to the rocks deposited during the time of the Devonian period

a. True b. False

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Which of these pressure cell descriptions is correct?

a. Subpolar highs, subtropical lows, equatorial highs. b. Polar lows, equatorial lows, subpolar highs. c. Equatorial highs, subtropical lows, polar lows. d. Subtropical highs, equatorial lows, subpolar lows.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

________ is(are) not (an) animal adaptation(s) prominent in the desert biome

A) Burrowing B) Nomadism C) Hygrophytic characteristics D) Nocturnal habits E) Estivation

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

The type of tectonic plate boundary at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is referred to as a ________

A) subduction zone B) seismic boundary C) convergent boundary D) divergent boundary E) transform fault

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences