Open AccessComments on ‘Thermal Effects of the Formation of Atlantic Continental Margins by Continental Break up’ by N.H. Sleep
Author(s) -
Foucher J. P.,
Pichon X. Le
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
geophysical journal of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0016-8009
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1972.tb06149.x
Subject(s) - continental shelf , exponential decay , lithosphere , exponential function , constant (computer programming) , thermal , contraction (grammar) , geology , continental margin , subsidence , erosion , time constant , geodesy , mechanics , geophysics , oceanography , thermodynamics , geomorphology , physics , seismology , mathematics , tectonics , medicine , mathematical analysis , engineering , structural basin , computer science , nuclear physics , electrical engineering , programming language
- Sleep (1971) has presented some very interesting observations on the exponential decrease of the subsidence rate in coastal basins. He shows that the time constant of this exponential decrease is of the same order of magnitude that the thermal time constant of a lithospheric plate. He then makes calculations with a physical mode1 combining erosion and thermal contraction. The purpose of these comments is to show that his physical assumptions are invalid and that çonsequently his calcula- tions are grossly in error. - Starting with an initial elevation E,, at time t = O, Sleep defines the law of variation of the elevation E by dE kE + di = - aEo exp (-al) where aE, exp (-at) is the thermal contraction term, a-' is the thermal time constant, -kE is the erosion term and k-' is the erosion time constant.