A geotectonic paradox:has the earth expanded?
From the common apparent polar-wander paths for Africa, Australia, Greenland, and North American in the early Proterozoic, we deduce that these continents today occupy aproximately the same relative locations on the globe as they did in the early Proterozoic. However, there is abundant geochemical,...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1981
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/e19c27cd-2531-498d-8185-30a08e251476 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0019436218&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
| Summary: | From the common apparent polar-wander paths for Africa, Australia, Greenland, and North American in the early Proterozoic, we deduce that these continents today occupy aproximately the same relative locations on the globe as they did in the early Proterozoic. However, there is abundant geochemical, geological, geochronological and tectonic evidence for landmasses having been much less dispersed in the Precambrian than they are now. The paper shows that an Earth of about half the present radius accommodates the present continents so that this paradox can be satisfactorily resolved and that between about 1600 Myr and 1000 Myr ago, the Earth expanded to about its present dimensions. A change from Proterozoic to Phanerozoic tectonic styles is supported.-Authors |
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