ISOSTASY

isostasy

(noun) (geology) a general equilibrium of the forces tending to elevate or depress the earth’s crust

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

isostasy (usually uncountable, plural isostasies)

(geology) The state of balance or pressure equilibrium thought to exist within the Earth's crust, whereby the upper lithosphere floats on denser magma beneath.

Source: Wiktionary


I*sos"ta*sy, n. [See Iso-; Stasis.]

Definition: The state or quality of being isostatic. Specif. (Geol.),

Definition: general equilibrium in the earth's crust, supposed to be maintained by the yielding or flow of rock material beneath the surface under gravitative stress. By the theory of isostasy each unit column of the earth, from surface to center, has approximately the same weight, and the continents stand higher than the ocean beds chiefly because the material of the crust has there less density.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

27 January 2025

FISSILE

(adjective) capable of being split or cleft or divided in the direction of the grain; “fissile crystals”; “fissile wood”


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Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee comes from a chemical process that takes out caffeine from the beans. Pharmaceutical and soda companies buy the extracted caffeine.

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