Canada's on the up - US is going down (geologically speaking)

May 20, New Scientist News Service

Canada is on the up and the US is going down, according to the most detailed map ever made of the vertical movements of the North American plate. The height of some places is changing as fast as 10 millimetres a year.

The movements began more than 18,000 years ago, with the melting of a mighty ice sheet that stretched from the North Pole to below the current Canadian-US border. The weight of the ice had pushed the northern part of the North American plate down, with the southern part tilting up in response. When the ice melted, the plate began to rebound, but only as fast as the mantle beneath it could move. The process continues today because mantle rock is very slow-flowing.

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The data document how the height of more than 200 locations scattered across both countries is changing. "We have a signal that's really quite dramatic" says Sella.

The researchers also believe the new map could help explain some of the most enigmatic earthquakes that strike North America.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99995019

Ronald McDonald is culpable and should be sent to Gitmo for re-education.

We have know this for a long time. It's called glacial rebound. It also explains why the new Orleans area is sinking i.e.: the sediment for the Mississippi is pushing down the isocratic equilibrium. All plates are like bowies in a lake, add weight to them and they sink a little. If you erode off say a KM of the Rockies the will rebound .8 KM.

Quick, Dubya, take over Canada!

On second thought, let's wait awhile.

:-)

i agree

sorry, just had a freeper moment there.

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can't convince me that the author wasn't enjoying some personal venting of an opinion there . . .

Especially in view of the World's declining opinion of our southern neighbors lately . .

hmmm? :shrug:

a slow but steady takeover it seems! lol

...movement of 5mm per year.

I guess the words "move" or "creep" weren't sexy enough?

And you -- yeah, YOU over there, you know who I'm talking to! -- don't you DARE scarf down another McHumungous Burger! Just lay it down and back away slowly, okay?

Bush, Cheney, Rockefeller and the Freemasons are trying to steal our water.