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Science Reveals:
POWERFUL FORCES
WITHIN THE EARTH
Now, for the first time, a single all-encompassing concept-called piate tectonics-explains the causes
of earthquakes, volcanic activity and other geologic wonders. You need to understand its significance.
T
HE EARTH
under our feet is
ruled by powerful- but notas
yet fully understood- forces.
These forces are constantly pushing,
tugging, tearing, lifting, suppressing
and deforming great slabs of earth.
The astounding fact is, terra fi rma
is not firm!
Unlfying Concept
Even until the late l960s, scientific
inquiry was only beginning to under–
stand interrelationships between the
position and characteristics of volca–
noes, earthquake belts, mountain sys–
tems, deep-sea trenches and ocean
basins.
The explosion of seismic (earth–
quake related) knowledge began in
the years following World War IL
Government and prívate moneys
pushed extensive exploration of the
world's sea ftoors. Particularly re–
vealing was the mapping of the mid–
Atlantic ridge and the discovery of
the deep, crack-like valley or rift
running down its center line.
April 1980
by Oonald D. Schroeder
Scientists themselves have debated
the causes of their astounding new
discoveries.
But did you know the Bible
describes some of their recent per–
plexing findings?
Look at how up-to-date a re these
revelations of the Bible in matters
only recently discovered and verified
by modern earth science!
" ...
a Jire
...
sets ablaze the
foundations of the mountains" (Deu–
teronomy 32:22, Jewish Publication
Society (JPS) translation).
"The mountains shake at the
swelling
thereof' ( Psalms 46:3, J PS
translation).
"Thou [the Creator God) hast
made the earth to tremble; thou hast
broken
it; heal the
breaches
thereof;
for it shaketh" ( Psalm 60:2).
Now, as the decade of the 1980s
opens, the single concept of
plate
tectonics
brings into clear focus the
causes of these and other geological
features of the earth.
Whydowecall it plate tectonics? In
a contemporary geological usagc tec–
tonics pertains to giant earth surface
slabs caJied plates and their relation–
ship with the deforming, folding or
altering of earth materials.
Understanding the Tect onic
Concept
The essence of global plate tectonics is
that the earth's surface-we call it the
lithosphere-is composed of a dozen
or so semirigid slabs called tectonic
plates. These piates, composed of less–
er density rock, appear to ftoat upon a
hot, plastic (semisolid) !ayer of heav–
ier density rock in the earth's mantle.
This undergirding hot plastic Iayer we
call the asthenosphere. lt issometimes
called the zone of weakness or zone of
mobility.
The continents are like rafts em-
ABOVE-A
recent devastating earth–
quake and seismographs that record
around 2,000 daily earth movements
otherwise undetectable to human
senses.
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