south coast of britain sinking?

Originally posted by DAZ21
I thought it was the sheer weight of the ice shelf that rested over Scotland during the ice age, forcing the north down. Then when that melted, a seesaw action was created, so the south is now going down.

That's what I thought anyway.

edit on 4-9-2012 by DAZ21 because: (no reason given)

That is part of the story. The Highlands were once extremely high mountains. As they have sunk, the land in the south east has risen. All to do with tectonics and crustal displacement, etc.

All very cool but a bit rubbish when compared to the fact that roughly 45 million years ago we were still working our way up from the equator. Always fancied hot british summers........

Originally posted by 3Dplus
I didn't know about this until a friend happened to mention it in passing...I know, we have odd conversations.

Basically, the island of Britain is "heavier" on the south coast, and Scotland is rising. And over time and apparently due to global warming the island now seems to be....tilted.

No conspiracy, no doomsday prophesies. Just a general post of: I didn't know that, did you?

Like I said, this is new info to me, and I still need to read up on it a bit, but I figured you guys could help with the whole researching bit. Cause that's what we do here, isn't it?


Tilting Britain

OK firstly, your OP is wrong.

Scotland is rising because of the "sponge effect". The weight of all the ice from teh previous ice age has gone, it weighed Scotland down so much that it is now "springing" back up. Kind of like putting a heavy item on a sponge and removing it, only much slower.

It has noting to do with England being heavier and Scotland lighter.

As for England sinking because of "Climate Change", i thought it was "Global Warming"? I wish they'd make up their minds and impose the tax they want to...just get it over with already...

reply to post by Flavian


The mountains aren't lower because they have "sunk". The Scottish highlands are still rising because of 2 effects

1. They are fold mountains
2. The weight of ice has shifted.

Yes the land that is now the Scottish Highlands once had mountains that were similar to those in the Alps but millenia of weathering and erosion and ice ages have all but worn them down.

We see saw, but we aren't alone. Other places heavily affected by the Ice age do too.

reply to post by jrmcleod


Actually, the Highlands have sunk considerably over the last 5 million years. This is a natural process for a variety of factors. However, they also rebound and start to rise again, something currently happening. Glacial rebound is only part of this process (which is the point i was making).

Originally posted by AgentX09

OK.On the count of 3 will everyone in the south be kind enough to start running north so we can balance this out?

Have you see the Scottish diet? Obesity will balance this problem out.

OK.On the count of 3 will everyone in the south be kind enough to start running north so we can balance this out?

Oh no you don't, they can all stay down there and get their feet wet.

Scotland rising, due to this sponge effect, from the ice shelf no longer pushing down, and rising sea levels makes it seem like its tilting, but I don't think the south is actually sinking.

reply to post by Wifibrains


Actually, that is exactly what is happening (south east). A very basic and simplistic explanation would be that the crust under mountain ranges isn't close to the surface, as you may expect (i did when i first started geology). In actual fact, the crust under ranges mirrors the mountains on top, whereas in flat, plain like areas the crust is much closer to the surface. When mountains "sink" back into this area, the crust displaces this movement down the line. In the case of the UK, as the Highlands have sunk, the south east has risen (as well as parts of the Netherlands, etc - yes the Highlands were once that big they affect other countries now). Ergo, as the Highlands rise back up, the south east gradual "sinks" lower again.

That is a very basic illustration of the process, not taking into account all of the other factors involved, such as glacial rebound, etc.

reply to post by Flavian


You mean like when you squeez a small balloon in your hand? You simply displace the air and a bubble pops out somewhere else, I think I get it. So rising sea levels would only make the matter worse for the south, I live by the sea, but haven't had it knock on my door yet lol. Hopefully this process takes thousands of years.

reply to post by Wifibrains


Yeah, a bit like that (well, like many things in science, not really like that, but the analogy helps to visualise it!). I vaguely remember it blowing my mind years ago when we were taught it - long time though so the old grey matter may not be totally reliable!

Nothing to worry about though, the process takes millions of years - an ongoing cycle until the mountains are worn down. One of the interesting bits of geology, unlike having to draw suture lines on trilobyte and ammonite fossils.

What it really means is that things like the Thames Barrier and the huge barriers and dykes in Holland are kind of pointless in the grand scheme of things, even if they do serve a purpose for us at the moment. Basically, it is the South East and the Low Countries most affected by this, although parts of the East coast also are. Personally, i am more worried about coastal erosion in my neck of the woods. We have records that show in Yorkshire alone, since Roman times, we have lost over 300 settlements from the coast (fallen into the sea). Occasionally, at very low tides, you can see remnants of these off shore.

Originally posted by Mkoll

Originally posted by DAZ21
I thought it was the sheer weight of the ice shelf that rested over Scotland during the ice age, forcing the north down. Then when that melted, a seesaw action was created, so the south is now going down.

You're absolutely right. This is in fact the cause, and it can be seen anywhere there used to be massive glaciers. It's just the Earth adjusting to the new patterns of weight.

Obviously geography wasnt in your curriculum....But the two quotes above are the correct answer why...

Originally posted by FanarFanar

Originally posted by AgentX09

OK.On the count of 3 will everyone in the south be kind enough to start running north so we can balance this out?

Have you see the Scottish diet? Obesity will balance this problem out.

Are they the folks that eat hagis?I get queasy just thinking of it!

probably due to the conservative voting souths big fat wallets.

Originally posted by glen200376
probably due to the conservative voting souths big fat wallets.

Nah, it's because of all the Scots that have fled down south in the faint hope of actually seeing the sun once in a while!

reply to post by Flavian


In aberdeen a couple of days ago we actually were the hottest place in the u.k. 25 degrees,the hottest September day since records began in 1957!

reply to post by AgentX09


not all Scots enjoy eating internal organs in a stomach,yuk!

Originally posted by glen200376
reply to post by Flavian

 

In aberdeen a couple of days ago we actually were the hottest place in the u.k. 25 degrees,the hottest September day since records began in 1957!

Bloody hell. Were you all lining the streets looking for those pesky flying pigs?

Couple of days ago i was busy getting a soaking

Cool, I did not know that. At first when I read your post I was like, ahhhh here we gooooo...I was wrong Thanks for the post!

ben wyvis is near where i live you can collect fossils of sea creatures near the top meaning at one time it was under water & its over 3000 ft i have heard geology students say the mountains in scotland are some of the oldest in the world yet in london hippo & lion bones have been discovered .many areas under the north sea you can find tree stumps in and its not unusual to find mammoth bones being picked up in fishing nets