On Thu 2005-01-27T07:45:33 +0000, Peter Bunclark hath writ:
> I guess the ice melted, flowed into the oceans and the whole planet is
> closer to hydrostatic equilibrium. The crustal rebound must have a
> counterpart in ocean-basin depressing (since presumably magma is an
> uncompressible liquid).
In brief, the ice load caused the mantle to flow toward the equator.
Lately it has been flowing back from the United States toward Canada,
from central Asia toward Siberia. So the earth as ice skater is
pulling its arms in as it gets less oblate.
Try this for recent details and changes.
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020801gravityfield.html
--
Steve Allen UCO/Lick Observatory Santa Cruz, CA 95064
sla_at_ucolick.org Voice: +1 831 459 3046 http://www.ucolick.org/~sla
PGP: 1024/E46978C5 F6 78 D1 10 62 94 8F 2E 49 89 0E FE 26 B4 14 93
Received on Thu Jan 27 2005 - 00:16:09 PST