ISOSTASY

A concept presented to explain how different topographic heights can

exist at the Earth’s surface.
Let’s Take a Small Review
• The Earth’s crust and uppermantle together make the lithosphere
which is rigid in nature and constitutes tectonic plates.
• The Earth’s Asthenosphere lies directly below the Lithosphere and is
much hotter and ductile than than the Lithosphere.
• Lithosphere has lower density, hence, floats on top of the
Asthenosphere
The Crust, Lithosphere,
Asthenosphere all visible
in this picture along with
other necessities.
So What is Isostasy?
• Isostasy is a gravitational equilibrium of adjacent blocks of brittle
Lithosphere “floating” on the Asthenosphere.
• Lithosphere can be thought of as tending to rise or sink gradually until
it is balanced by the weight of displaced Asthenosphere.
• The thicker the Lithosphere, the more it extends in the
Asthenosphere.
• This concept of vertical movement to reach equilibrium is called
“isostatic adjustment”.
Continued…
• As a result, the rocks (and overlying seawater) can be thought of as
separated in to vertical columns, each with same pressure at its base.
• At some depth of equal pressure, each column is in balance with
other columns, for each column has the same weight.
• A column of thick continental Lithosphere (Mountain and its roots)
has the same weight as a column containing thin continental
Lithosphere and some of the upper mantle.
• The depth to which a plate sinks is dependent on its weight and
changes as the weight varies.
Isostatic adjustment
Isostatic adjustment
• Isostatic adjustment takes place whenever large volumes of materials
are eroded from or deposited on parts of the Crust.
• Suppose that 2 sections of crust of unequal thickness are next to each
other, sediment from higher part of the Crust, which is subject to
more rapid erosion, is deposited on the lower part.
• The decrease in weight from the high part of the Crust causes it to
rise, while increase in weight of lower part causes it to sink
• This rising and sinking of Lithosphere is accommodated by flow of The
Asthenosphere
Crystal Rebound
• Crystal rebound is the upward movement of large areas of the crustal
lithosphere since the glacial ages.
• The weight of the thick continental ice sheets during the Pleistocene
Epoch depressed the Lithosphere underneath the ice.
• This melting of ice and rising of crust is still going on in Scandinavian
countries is said to be Crystal rebound.
Crystal rebound
 Isostatic Models
• Three models were presented to explain the concept of Isostacy
The Airy-Heiskanem Model:
• Different topographic heights are accommodated by changes in
crustal thickness, in which the Crust has a constant density.
The Pratt-Hayford Model:
• Different topographic heights are accommodated by lateral
changes in rock density.
The Vening Meisnez Model:
• Lithosphere acts as an elastic plate and its inherent rigidity
disturbutes local Topographic loads over a broad region by bending.
Presentation topic:Isostasy
Name: FatimaZaim
Subject: Geology
Course number: Geo-302
Submitted to: Dr. Maria Kaleem
Department: Institute of Marine
Science