Re: Hypothesis Involving Planetoid Impacts

"don findlay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "George" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > "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.
>
> Why don['t you try him with that funny idea that the Earth is expanding?

I wil as soon as I stop laughing.

> (Viscous by the way; not plastic) ('George', your hair's really a mess).

Whatever.