Soft Plate and Impact Tectonics [Paperback]

This book presents a historical perspective on plate tectonics. In doing so it discusses the foundations of rigid plate tectonics and the limitations of this approach. This classic approach explains the data at a level of 95 % precision. The authors explain data anomalies as a result of the discrepancies between spatial geodetical data and rigid kinematics in oceans. Data and its interpretation from various disciplines are pulled together in this book. Structural geology is a core component of knowledge needed for intelligent living with our planet, truly sustainable development. It gives me great pleasure to write this brief foreword for the work by Antonio of Lisboa. When we consider the foundations of our life support systems, cli? Ribeiro mate, the biosphere, soil, materials, energy, waste management and today in the word of cities, structural stability, we require exact knowledge of the structure of our planet and change in these structures. Homo sapiens has lived on our planet for a very short period. Our planet is cooling by conduction and convection and it is the structures that result from these processes that control the global climate, our resource base and even soil quality and food secu? rity, etc, etc. As the title of this book suggests, some processes are slow and some fast. I was born on a farm in Southern New Zealand, quite close to the magnificent had a profound influen? Southern Alps. I often think that watching that environment ce on my mental development.1 Introduction.- 1.1 From Continental Drift to Rigid Plate Tectonics (1910-1968).- 1.2 Soft Plate Tectonics (1987-1996).- 1.3 Beyond Plate Tectonics (1980-?).- 2 Global Tectonics with Rigid Plates: Foundations and Limitations.- 2.1 Plate Tectonics in Oceans and Continents.- 2.2 Plate Rigidity as a Postulate.- 2.3 Effects of Fluids on Deformation and Its Implications for Composition and Rheology of Lithosphere.- 2.4 Strain and Strain Rates in the Lithosphere: Present and Past.- 2.5 Stress in thelS±