Chapter 2 - 2

02 Geology

Effects of Temperature on Elevation

Imagine two of the world’s largest cities, New York and Los Angeles, submerged underwater due to natural causes.

What “natural causes” could lead to such a disaster? Immediately, thoughts of earthquakes and flooding come to mind.

Yet, the explanation might be something much more subtle.

A recent geological study has found a correction between the temperature of the Earth’s crust and the elevation of its surface.

Using North America as an example, the study reveals how increases or decreases in temperature can cause changes in the altitude of any given place on the continent.

Previously, scientists believed that variations in the thickness and composition of crustal rocks alone were the reasons for the relevation and buoyancy of different areas in North America.

It was thought that elevation was the result of tectonic plates in the Earth’s crust that collided to build mountains, sink the sea floor, and contribute to volcanic activity.

They did not consider the heat that makes rock expand as a factor.

When rocks are heated, they become less dense and more buoyant, an occurrence known as thermal isostasy.