https://gregladen.com/blog/2008/01/17/the-evolution-of-the-modern-cl/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:12:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 https://gregladen.com/blog/2008/01/17/the-evolution-of-the-modern-cl/#comment-2963 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:12:04 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/01/17/the-evolution-of-the-modern-cl/#comment-2963 Hmmm. This from a man who believes that the “NEA is the biggest criminal organization in the United States” …

]]> https://gregladen.com/blog/2008/01/17/the-evolution-of-the-modern-cl/#comment-2962 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:39:45 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/01/17/the-evolution-of-the-modern-cl/#comment-2962 Nope, it’s the formation of the Moon. More particularly, the formation of the Moon at the distance it took place. For had the Moon coalesced further away the new crust that formed to replace the original would’ve been as thick as the original, resulting in the same situation as now exists on Venus. Why is this important? Tidal stresses. Luna stresses Earth’s crust much as Io’s crust is stressed by Jupiter. Way back when, when Luna and Earth were closer together, tidal stresses were greater. Which things moved more, which greater tectonic activity as move and greater cracks appeared in the crust allowing for more magma to break through to the surface. Which in turn meant more spreading centers, more rifts, more subduction zones, more and thinner crustal plates that could then be impacted by tidal stress and keep the whole thing going until temperatures dropped to the point liquid water became possible. It being that water that would, well, soak the crust to an amazing degree and so lubricate the rocks of the crust and weaken them so the weaker tidal stress caused by a more distant Moon could continue to facilitate Earth movements and magmatic access to the surface.BTW, when you include the flooded parts of the continents you wind up with a strung out super continent consisting of Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas. The connection between North America and Eurasia being the currently flooded land of Beringia.

]]>