Continents Flashcards
1
Q
What is Isostasy
A
gravitational balance that determines elevation.
2
Q
What are the functions of elevation
A
Density and thickness
3
Q
What is Magmatic Addition
A
magma transferred to
continents at subduction zones (range of
compositions)
4
Q
What is Continental Accretion
A
buoyant fragments of
crust are attached (accreted) to continents
due to plate motions
5
Q
What is Orogeny
A
mountain-building process of folding,
faulting, magmatism, and metamorphism
6
Q
What is Epeirogeny
A
vertical motions of largely flat-lying
rocks without faulting or significant folding
7
Q
How have Craton survived
A
underlain by cold, strong mantle (the
lithospheric “keel”)
8
Q
What are Craton’s
A
tectonically stable continental interior;
eroded remnants of ancient deformed rocks
