Many decades ago, there was much discussion on what causes the "continental drift" - i. e., what causes the continents to wander all over the face of the globe, forming huge land masses (and huge oceans), before breaking up and re-forming again.
Usually, it was put down to thermal upwellings and eruptions, which seemed inconsistent to me, given the vast differences in geographic results: Some continents had recent mountain ranges, others did not; and the geographic pattern seemed strangely asymmetric to be caused by something so random.
For instance, if you look at the geographical and geological map of Europe, you will find that Africa has been pushing itself (or is being pushed) northwards under the subcontinent of Europe, thus raising the Alps (which are still growing), and, strangely enough, opening a ocean to the south of them: the Mediterranean Sea, the 'Sea amidst Land'.
But the former ocean which has been (and still is being) closed by this continental drift, the Tethys (or at least a branch of it), now runs north of the Mediterranean, from east to west, right through the middle of the Alps; its former sea floor now makes up their highest peaks, which, as mentioned, are still rising by a few centimeters per year - which is quite considerable in view of the masses being moved, and so, that former ocean is still being crushed by the forces that be.
If this is so, it would probably be impossible: if Africa were indeed being pushed (or itself pushing) northwards from the south, then both oceans would be closing, and not the southern one be three kilometers deep, with three kilometers more to add to the would-be mountain tops that its momentary floor would then be forming; while the former northern one, further away, is still today being pressed upwards.
However, this is happening.
One solution to that conundrum would be that Africa is not pushing northwards, instead it is being pulled northwards. Such a force could theoretically close a northern ocean while opening a southern one by ripping a huge and sluggish continent like Africa apart to the north (and east!).
And something similar is happening with India being pulled under Tibet; here, again, the former Tethys Ocean runs right through the middle of the Himalayans from east to west, and whose mountains, too, consist of its former sea floor.
Now, what could be doing the pulling?
Well, here's what I came up with. You guessed it, gravity. Well, that's not the whole story:
Tracing the Continental Drift
Tracing the Continental Drift
Tracing the Continental Drift
Many decades ago, there was much discussion on what causes the "continental drift" - i. e., what causes the continents to wander all over the face of the globe, forming huge land masses (and huge oceans), before breaking up and re-forming again.
Usually, it was put down to thermal upwellings and eruptions, which seemed inconsistent to me, given the vast differences in geographic results: Some continents had recent mountain ranges, others did not; and the geographic pattern seemed strangely asymmetric to be caused by something so random.
For instance, if you look at the geographical and geological map of Europe, you will find that Africa has been pushing itself (or is being pushed) northwards under the subcontinent of Europe, thus raising the Alps (which are still growing), and, strangely enough, opening a ocean to the south of them: the Mediterranean Sea, the 'Sea amidst Land'.
But the former ocean which has been (and still is being) closed by this continental drift, the Tethys (or at least a branch of it), now runs north of the Mediterranean, from east to west, right through the middle of the Alps; its former sea floor now makes up their highest peaks, which, as mentioned, are still rising by a few centimeters per year - which is quite considerable in view of the masses being moved, and so, that former ocean is still being crushed by the forces that be.
If this is so, it would probably be impossible: if Africa were indeed being pushed (or itself pushing) northwards from the south, then both oceans would be closing, and not the southern one be three kilometers deep, with three kilometers more to add to the would-be mountain tops that its momentary floor would then be forming; while the former northern one, further away, is still today being pressed upwards.
However, this is happening.
One solution to that conundrum would be that Africa is not pushing northwards, instead it is being pulled northwards. Such a force could theoretically close a northern ocean while opening a southern one by ripping a huge and sluggish continent like Africa apart to the north (and east!).
And something similar is happening with India being pulled under Tibet; here, again, the former Tethys Ocean runs right through the middle of the Himalayans from east to west, and whose mountains, too, consist of its former sea floor.
Now, what could be doing the pulling?
Well, here's what I came up with. You guessed it, gravity. Well, that's not the whole story:
Note the location of island chains. Then unfold the recent mountain ranges.