Re: Hypothesis Involving Planetoid Impacts

"George" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>"Professor Gauss" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Christof Kuhn [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>> >Professor Gauss wrote:
>> >> Not being a geologist, I am new to this group, but have a hypothesis
>and I
>> >was
>> >> wondering if it has been discussed yet by geologists, either here or
>> >elsewhere.
>> >
>> >On subjects like this, you'll find plenty of discussions here, some of
>> >them more serious and some less, but most of them in a quite emotional
>> >way, so expect the worst, then you may be positively surprised :-)
>> >
>> >>  Here is the hypothesis:
>> >>
>> >> 1) The early earth was smaller than it is now.  It had a crust floating
>on
>> >top
>> >> of a mantle which covered the entire earth.  The crust formed following
>an
>> >> extended period of chemical reactions at the earth's surface.  A
>possible
>> >> example of such a reaction is the hydration of minerals caused by the
>> >> absorption of water from the atmosphere.
>> >>
>> >A similar theory is used by the so-called Earth Expansionists.
>> >
>> >Many scientists think that the continental crust formed by magma
>> >differentiation on top of the mantle (which is not molten, just to be
>> >sure...).
>>
>> You state that the mantle is solid, and (later) that the only liquid
>portion of
>> the earth's interior is the outer core.  I thought that the mantle was
>liquid
>> and thus supports continental drift.
>
>No.  The mantle is a solid that behaves as a plastic due to heat and
>pressure.  Hence it flows, albeit slowly.
>
>> BTW, thank you for your kind reply.  And I did enjoy at least one flame,
>from
>> George, who agreed with me that I am not a geologist.  Although it is OK
>to
>> know that I am not wrong about everything, nothing worthwhile was
>contributed
>> by his reply.  Thanks again.
>
>Sorry about that.  Bad hair day.  I hope I did better with the above
>response.

OK.  Thank you.
--
To hear is to forget,
To see is to remember,
To do is to understand.
-- Ancient Chinese proverb