Subject: Re: continental plate motion
From: williams@pangea.stanford.edu (Tom Williams)
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 15:14:03 -0700
In article <51256a$9i7@nntp.Stanford.EDU>, karish@gondwana.Stanford.EDU
(Chuck Karish) wrote:
on some continental plates while eroding others.
>
> To get back to the original question, there is no well-accepted
> answer. The "slab pull" phenomenon that Tom Williams described
> is merely a way to describe the observation that those
> current-day plates that have large proportions of their margins
> being subducted are the ones that move most rapidly. This
> doesn't mean that the plates are in tension, being pulled from
> their margins. Plates are much too weak to transmit enough
> force across an entire plate to move the plate, either in
> tension or in compression.
OK Chuck, I'll bite.:)
(By the way, I did expect to take some flack for posting a much
too simplistic answer.)
I'll be your straw dog:
Why are the plates too weak? How can this possibly be?
I'm not a geophysicist although I impersonate one
from time to time as a T.A.
Your point made me curious:
If the plates were really that weak, why would we have 'plates'
_at all_. I mean if they are truly to weak to support tension,
then why would these really big chunks of rock move as relatively
rigid bodies with _comparatively_ little intraplate deformation.
No matter how you slice it, most of the relative motion, and the
strain, is accomplished at the margin of the plate.
Even if you put your trust in theoretical models:
From yield stress envelope calculations of the sort
that I'm familiar with, the total strength of the lithosphere
is 10^13 to 3x10^13 N/m. (Sorry my class notes don't have references).
Estimates of the average stress imparted over the thickness
of the lithosphere as a result of plate interactions: 20-30MPa
(Bott and Kusznir, 1984 Tectonophysics: 1-13).
Over a 125 km thick lithosphere, this corresponds to an average
stress level of 2.5x10^12 to 3.75x10^12 N/m.
Therefore, the strength of the typical lithosphere is able
to withstand 3 to 10 times the force imparted per meter of
plate margin, unless you concentrate the stress.
I'm sure that my understanding of such considerations is
a little out of date, I'm a stratigrapher after all,
but how could the plates be 'much too weak' to
be pulled from their margins?
Tom
--
Tom Williams williams@pangea.stanford.edu
Basin Analysis, Sequence Stratigraphy
Stanford Program on Deep-Sea Depositional Systems
http://pangea.stanford.edu/~williams/williams.html
Subject: Re: Creation VS Evolution
From: mwfisher@cts.com (Michael W. Fisher)
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 15:53:26 -0700
In article <5178iu$eoc@nw101.infi.net>, tomitire@vegas.infi.net says...
->I still maintain that the program fails because the programmers
->cannot reach their desired goal and do not have the path for
->success within their abilities.
Maybe. Mayby its due at least as much to the fact that they built a
kind of striped down machine with only five parralles processors so they
could keep a reasonable budget.
The program, as I understand it is capable of running on a much more
powerful machine.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately depending on your point of
view, the company can't spare any of the really poweful (20 processor if I
remember right) machines for publicitiy stunts.
Ciao.
--
Michael Fisher, ET1/SS USN ret., lawstudent
http://www.sonoma.edu/cthink/Library/intraits.html
* * *
He that would make his own liberty secure,
must guard even his enemy from oppression;
for if he violates this duty,
he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
Thomas Paine
Subject: Re: IMPACT OROGENY ON EARTH
From: karish@gondwana.Stanford.EDU (Chuck Karish)
Date: 11 Sep 1996 19:58:28 GMT
In article <3236142D.758E@navix.net>,
Robert D. Brown wrote:
>My contention is that Hawaii (the primary volcanic site) was created by
>a very large impact occurring at this site, and that the mountains
>named above represent the impact crater's rim.
How do you explain the undisturbed ocean floor sediments of the
Pacific basin, some of which are much older than 65 My and are
well dated by micropaleontological technmiques, correlated
with paleomagnetic logs? Or, for that matter, the Cretaceous
corals that have been recovered from the Emperor seamounts?
>If one's position is: impacts don't occur on Earth, then none of the
>above makes any sense at all.
Whose position is that? No competent earth scientist that I
know or know of.
I know any number of people who will consider that Mr. Brown's
position makes no sense at all, as long as he chooses to
ignore geologic data that contradicts his theories.
>What did the old guard (whose regular theme is to argue against all
>catastrophist interpretations of Earth history, e.g. taking a
>consistent position in a religious, not scientific debate) have say in
>response to this: "Good thing we have Jupiter out there to prevent big
>impactors from coming our way".
I won't hold my breath waiting for an answer from them. There
is no such old guard.
The inverse square law for gravitational interactions keeps
even a mass as large as Jupiter from being an efficient sweep
for objects that come from outside the orbital plane of the
Solar System.
--
Chuck Karish karish@mindcraft.com
(415) 323-9000 x117 karish@pangea.stanford.edu
Subject: Re: good engineering
From: ebohlman@netcom.com (Eric Bohlman)
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 21:16:21 GMT
References: <50skhp$41u@amenti.rutgers.edu> <50vga2$ck5@niflheim.rutgers.edu> <512432$jou@niflheim.rutgers.edu> <512vfq$rdq@niflheim.rutgers.edu>
Organization: OMS Development
Distribution: inet
Michael Huemer (owl@niflheim.rutgers.edu) wrote:
: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu writes:
: >No, it would've a counter survival value. It would either generate
: >overcrowding (in which case death would come from starvation, aging
: >not being an issue) or, assuming it would be accompanied by a greatly
: Perhaps, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be an advantage to the
: individuals who had the gene. Have you heard of 'the tragedy of the
: commons'?
: If you had 12 kids (and successfully raised them to adulthood), more
: copies of your genes would reproduce, so in that sense your genes
: would have an 'advantage,' i.e., they would be more likely dominate
: the future population. The fact that by doing this, you may be
: screwing up the world for everyone in the future makes no difference.
: Evolution, so to speak, is blind to that.
False. Evolution operates at the level of entire populations as well as
individuals. Anything that enhances the survival of a particular
population will enhance the survival of all the individual genes included
in that population. Natural selection isn't a zero-sum game in which one
individual's genes try to "dominate" another's (despite that fact that
popularizations make it sound that way, but that's really a projection of
Anglo-American ideals about the role of the individual in society onto
biological processes). If a population dies out due to overcrowding, the
"strongest" individual genes in that population have been selected out
just as much as the "weakest" genes.
Genes that grant an individual and his progeny an 'advantage" but screw
up the future world for everyone simply don't survive. Period. Every
time they arise, they'll be selected out; the fact that they cause other
genes in other people to be selected out as well doesn't matter. One
person's loss is not automatically another person's gain.
Subject: Re: Write-in vote Archimedes Plutonium, next US president !!
From: c2xeag@eng.delcoelect.com (Edward A Gedeon)
Date: 11 Sep 1996 14:28:55 GMT
In article <32362869.60EB@superlink.net>, Eric Lucas writes:
> Now, I gotta be the first one to admit that this is funny stuff below!
> (I'm serious!) He don't know snot about science, but his humorous prose
> is just brilliant. "PUT A HEAVY ELEMENT IN THE WHITE HOUSE THIS FALL"
> bumper stickers??? Hee hee hee. (ROTFL) What a knee-slapper!
>
> Well done, Archie.
>
We already HAVE had a heavy element in the White House.
Or have you forgotten Isaac Asimov's insightful account of the
Reagan years, "I, Ron"? :-)
--
Edward Gedeon, Delco Electronics | Member DNRC O-
The above message is a random collection |
of photons. Any opinion inferred is your | "Do you mind if I smoke?"
own problem, bud. | -- Joan of Arc
Subject: Re: Australian Geologists
From: geronimodg@aol.com (GeronimoDG)
Date: 11 Sep 1996 19:29:39 -0400
In article ,
paul_d@postoffice.sandybay.utas.edu.au (Paul Davidson) writes:
>> Hi, I'm a geology student in Brisbane and I'm curious as to whether any
>> Australians in this field use these newsgroups.
>
>Hello Michelle
>
> Yes
>
>Check the "from: " lines in the headers, quite a few of them come from
>"down under" to use that awfull expression. If you have anything to
>communicate this newsgroup is a good forum. There is endless drivel from
>various posters but there is also a chance of picking up some usefull
>information, and it is also usefull if you have something to say to
>Australian geologists (or geology students such as myself).
Hi, I'm actually an American student (in Geology), but I visited Australia
a few years ago and really liked the place. I have a few questions about
the job market there.
1) Are American nationals allowed to hold jobs there, or would a change of
citizenship be necessary? I know there are work visas but my
understanding of those was that they are only given to citizens of
Commonwealth nations. (Or have you voted no to the CW?)
2)What are the mining and environmental fields like, in terms of demand
for new geologists?
3)Would an American be welcome if they were planning on moving there, and
becoming productive members of the community (volunteering, joining local
organizations, etc.)?
I would appreciate anything you could come up with, or any direction you
could point me in for info on the subject. And if there is anything I
can do for you, please ask. DSG
Subject: Re: Program Wanted
From: geronimodg@aol.com (GeronimoDG)
Date: 11 Sep 1996 19:29:41 -0400
In article <9609062000251185@digcir.cts.com>, david.johnson@digcir.cts.com
(David Johnson) writes:
>I am looking for a program that would do for geology what an excellent
>planetarium program such as 'SkyGlobe' does for astronomy: Permit a
>person to see how landforms have changed--and will change--over time.
>This program would trace the effects of plate tectonics as far back as
>evidence will permit, letting the user see the processes from different
>perspectives and at different rates. The orinterrelationships of the
>dominant forces and pressures could be illustrated, along with which
>major features and rock types were being produced. In those situations
>of considerable uncertainty, such as the orogeny of the Rockies,
>different scenarios could be explored with both their problems and
>advantages explained and explorable.
>
>Does anyone know of such a program? I have never seen reference to one,
>but this is the first time I have ever inquired. The potential for
>students would be great, and I am sure there are many persons such as
>myself who would like to be able to manipulate this ultimate puzzle with
>a computer. One of the most valuable features would be an identification
>of how slight changes in materials or structural composition might have
>made a big difference in the outcome, and it would be great to have
>'what-if' capabilities. Regional supplements could be developed, and
>perhaps I could assemble California on my screen.
>
>If this type of program does not exist, it would be a splendid project
>for advanced students who want to do something that won't sit unused on
>a library shelf!
>
>David Johnson
>Chula Vista CA
>
>
There is a shareware program called "Erupt" that creates a limited
extrusive landform according to certain variables the user punches in. It
is limited to very basic forms however, and if memory serves me correctly,
takes up about a meg. The program you are proposing sounds like a
multi-CD
type of program; however, if you could come up with such a thing, I'm sure
it would be popular, as long as it was done correctly.
Subject: Peninsula Geological Society Meeting (San Francisco Bay, California)
From: zulanger@news.er.usgs.gov (Victoria E. Langenheim (BGP Menlo))
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 1996 01:06:58 GMT
Peninsula Geological Society October 1996 lecture
PENINSULA GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS
Magmatic Arc Lower Crust - What's Going On?
by Susan DeBari, San Jose State University
Volcanism in the Southern Cascades - What's Going On?
by Michael A. Clynne, U.S.G.S.
DINNER MEETING - Thursday, October 3, 1996
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, California
5:30 PM-Wine Tasting: Mitchell Bldg., first floor
6:00 PM-Dinner: . . . Mitchell Bldg., first floor
7:30 PM-Meeting: Geology Corner on the quad, Room 105 (formerly Room 320)
Come celebrate the first PGS lecture of the '96-'97 season.
Anyone wishing to attend the lecture only is welcome at no cost.
Stanford faculty and students: Please make dinner reservations by Monday,
September 30. Contact Dr. Juhn Liou via his mailbox (and leave check),
Geological and Environmental Sciences Office, Mitchell Bldg. (Rm. 138).
Make checks out to "PGS".
All others, including faculty and students from other Bay Area universities
and colleges and USGS: Please make dinner reservations by Monday, Sept. 30.
Contact John Galloway, at USGS, MS-904, 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, CA
94025, phone 415-329-5688. Send check made out to "PGS" to John.
Dinner is $22.00. Includes wine (5:30 to 6:00 PM.), dinner (6:00-7:30
PM.), tax, and tip.
For students from all universities and colleges, the dinner, including the
social half-hour, is $10.00 and is partially subsidized thanks to the
Associates of School of Earth Sciences, Stanford University
Dues for Academic Year 1996-97 ($5.00) should be sent to John Galloway,
USGS, MS-904, 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025. John's phone:
415-329-5688.
Please check your nearby bulletin board for a map of Stanford University
or contact Vicki Langenheim (415-329-5313; zulanger@mojave.wr.usgs.gov) for
a flyer. If you wish to have your name removed from this mailing list,
please contact Vicki.
Officers: Chet Wrucke, President; Mike Diggles, Vice President; Vicki
Langenheim, Secretary; John Galloway, Treasurer
http://caldera.wr.usgs.gov/mdiggles/PGS.html
Subject: Re: Mankind's next step
From: land3@linden.fortnet.org (Ronald E. Thomas)
Date: 10 Sep 1996 10:56:47 -0600
i.language.japan,sci.life-extension,sci.logic
T.T. Gerritsen (T.Gerritsen@inter.nl.net) wrote:
: ryans@info2000.net (Ryan Swift) wrote:
: [some bombastic language snipped]
: > This proposed institution, to be organized and constructed before the
: >new millennium, would be the start to those wanting world peace, to those
: >wanting to share a common interest, and the strengthening of the human
: >exploratory spirit. This article can be looked at as a mere suggestion of
: >collective opinions, or could be looked at as the keystone to a glorious
: >future.
: >The choice is open to the world. I suggest it chooses wisely. Those
: >interested in joining the future; let me know. Let the world know.
: However strongly I favour international cooperation of any kind, I
:hate this kind of bombastic language. For people who don't use our
:Christian calender, there is no new milennium to come, so it's pretty
:arrogant to consider the year 2000 a milestone for all mankind. And
: I'm VERY suspicious indeed of anyone who thinks he is making history
: and preparing mankind for a glorious future. Please stop this crap and
: get to work.
: Tanno Gerritsen
: T.Gerritsen@inter.nl.net
Year 2000 is the end of a millenium, the year 2001 is the start of the
next millenium. So, the world peace crowd has an extra year to get their
act together. :)
(Ah, little do the masses know that on New Year's Eve, 1999, they will be
celebrating the beginning of the last year of the 20th century, not the
first year of the 21st century. But, hey, this is "I'm ignorant
and I'm proud, don't confuss the issue with facts" America here!)
RonT
Estes Park, CO
Subject: Re: continental plate motion
From: harper@kauri.vuw.ac.nz (John Harper)
Date: 12 Sep 1996 00:15:19 GMT
In article <3234D312.36AE@navix.net>,
Robert D. Brown wrote:
>(D) There is a circular impact crater rim centered on Hawaii (the
>Rockies, Central America, the Andes, the trans-Antarctic Mountains,
>... which lie on a great circle of the Earth centered on Hawaii as
>it lay 65 million years ago.
If so, the Rockies and the Trans-Antarctic Mountains would have been
the same distance from Hawaii 65 Ma ago. But they weren't. The error
is at least a factor of 2!
John Harper Mathematics Dept. Victoria University Wellington New Zealand
Subject: doc.Turi, go back to your home-constellation!
From: ba137@lafn.org (Brian Hutchings)
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 1996 03:19:16 GMT
At 12:59 AM 9/11/96 +0000, you wrote:
>
>
>doc.Turi, as you probably know,
>Richter's conjecture has been amply proven by an ex-USGS-guy
>in the Bay Area, whose name I forget but who's been on talkradio;
>in other words, full moons, esp.coincident with perigee,
>are great times to Escape Los Angeles (or wherever)
>to a wooden cottage or great outdoors,
>for some Quality Time with your family!
> to use this "success" of yours to propogate the rest
>of your crappola is par for the course but, if
>you're going to continue th behavior, please,
>at least *try* to make a crack at explaining the difference
>between sideral & "tropical" astrology -- or
>are you still using a Ptolemaic ephemerides ?!?
>
>
>--
--
There is no dimension without time. --RBF (Synergetics, 527.01)
(Brian Hutchings -- ba137@lafn.org)
Subject: Real Stuff
From: "Alan M. Dennis"
Date: 12 Sep 1996 03:46:33 GMT
Hey, this group spends too much time on irrelevant matters,e.g., religion.
I am a coal geologist with a real problem. One of our mines has what is
known in mining jargon as "good roof on the ground." The immediate mine
roof is siltstone(sandy shale), about 20 to 30 ft. thick. No joints,
fractures, faults, or planes of separation. The ground cover in the fall
area is about 600 ft. The falls start with a "cutter"(vertical separation
or crushed zone) in the mine roof down a mine entry adjacent to the
pillars. Once started, the roof will fall to at least 20 ft. or more. The
falls can be stopped in a given entry with timbers and cribs. However, once
stopped, a new fall will begin in another entry 200 to 500 ft. away from
the fall that was controlled.
This problem appears to be due to a stress field(horizontal stress) in the
rock above the coal.
Question to group: Can any of you academics point me in the direction of
the latest literature on stress fields in rocks? Also, I would greatly
appreciate any ideas from engineering types on learning to live with
stress!
Thanks
Subject: Re: Sonnets (Was: A constructive proposal for Archie P.)
From: deejay0210@aol.com (Deejay0210)
Date: 11 Sep 1996 21:59:59 -0400
In article <5062d6$lf2@fstgal00.tu-graz.ac.at>,
kirchweg@sztms.tu-graz.ac.at (Gerhild Kirchweger) writes:
>Subject: Re: Sonnets (Was: A constructive proposal for Archie P.)
>From: kirchweg@sztms.tu-graz.ac.at (Gerhild Kirchweger)
>Date: 30 Aug 1996 06:40:38 GMT
>
>meron@cars3.uchicago.edu wrote:
>: In article <32262688.7D0A@superlink.net>, Eric Lucas
>writes:
>: >Better than decomposing, I suppose, which is what most Baroque
composers
>: >are doing now! (Dare I say all? Not in this crowd!)
>: >
>: Shades of Gary Larson :-)
>
>No, it's Monty Python: "They're decomposing composers, there's less of
them
>every year, ..."
>
>--
>
>oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo Gerhild Kirchweger oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo_oo
>|____ Department of Internal Combustion Engines and Thermodynamics ____|
>|__ Graz University of Technology/ Austria ___Tel. ++43 316 873 7212___|
>oo_oo_oo_o http://fvkma.tu-graz.ac.at/~gerhild/gerhild.html _oo_oo_oo_oo
>
>------------------- Headers --------------------
>Path:
>newsbf05.news.aol.com!newstf01.news.aol.com!news-e2a.gnn.com!howland.erol
s.net!nntp04.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!newspump.sol.net!uwm.edu!math.o
hio-state.edu!jussieu.fr!oleane!in2p3.fr!swidir.switch.ch!01-newsfeed.univi
e.ac.at!03-newsfeed.univi
>e.ac.at!fstgal00.tu-graz.ac.at!not-for-mail
>From: kirchweg@sztms.tu-graz.ac.at (Gerhild Kirchweger)
>Newsgroups:
>sci.astro,sci.geo.geology,sci.physics,sci.chem,sci.bio.misc,sci.engr,sci.
math
>Subject: Re: Sonnets (Was: A constructive proposal for Archie P.)
>Followup-To:
>sci.astro,sci.geo.geology,sci.physics,sci.chem,sci.bio.misc,sci.engr,sci.
math
>Date: 30 Aug 1996 06:40:38 GMT
>Organization: Graz University of Technology, Austria
>Lines: 16
>Message-ID: <5062d6$lf2@fstgal00.tu-graz.ac.at>
>References: <4v2kuh$155@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
><4v88uk$eo6@zoom2.telepath.com> <4vj2ng$iqa@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
><321fcf66.471023@news.cris.com>
><504f0g$ihv@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov> <32262688.7D0A@superlink.net>
>
>NNTP-Posting-Host: fsztmss01.tu-graz.ac.at
>X-Newsreader: TIN [UNIX 1.3 950824BETA PL0]
>Xref: newsbf05.news.aol.com sci.astro:89918 sci.geo.geology:27827
>sci.physics:137927 sci.chem:56287 sci.bio.misc:4541 sci.engr:19017
>sci.math:95258
>
>
oops. sorry I busted in here like this -- looking for a physics NG --
obviously got the wrong door.
A few kind words take just a few seconds, but the echo lasts for years.
- Denis-
Subject: Re: Meteorite collecting
From: phelps@saber.udayton.edu (Z)
Date: 12 Sep 1996 01:18:08 GMT
Scott Stephens wrote:
snip
> I think he stated that in the Nullabor plain, a vast and remote arid
> environment, the population density of meteorites is about one per square
> kilometer!
snip
> If anyone can give me some
> details on what to look for or any other relevant information I'd be very
> grateful.
There are many books available on meteorites and what to look for - one of
my favorites is ~Rocks From Space~ by O. Richard Norton (1994) 449p.,
Mountain Press Pub. Co., Missoula Montana USA. He tells you just about
everything you need to know before you go hunting (where to look, what
they look like, how to test what you have found, etc.)
Good Hunting!
Regards,
Andy
--
Opinions are mine
Will do research for food
http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/2460/Index.html