Re: Continents and Islands?

r norman <r_s_norman@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 12:49:30 -0700, Timberwoof
<timberwoof.spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In article <1156593617.961709.83140@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
dgenglish@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

rev.goetz wrote:
r norman wrote:
On 25 Aug 2006 18:30:40 -0700, "rev.goetz" <jimgoetz316@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

What distinguishes a continent from an island?


The definition depends entirely on whether or not you live in
Australia.

However, if a continent is only a large island, then there are two
modern continents (without considering continental drift):
EuroAfroAsia and NorSouAmerica Then there are islands like Antarctica
and Greenland.

If we consider continental drift, then how many continents are
drifting?

James Goetz

India is drifting (relative to the rest of Eurasia) Should we consider
that a separate continent? Should it have been considered a separate
continent 65 million years ago, before the two land masses collided?

I don't know whether it was that or just an island, but there was an
ocean (The Tethys Sea) between it and Asia. What's left of that sea
(ocean?) is in Tibet now.

So. What differentiates pond, lake, gulf, sea, and ocean?

Properly speaking a pond is not large or deep enough to have thermal
stratification whereas a lake is. That is my definition. Probably
nobody else in the world knows about it.

Shouldn't a "continent" be that portion of a plate that is above
water? Each plate must be a continent since these are what drift. Of
course "continental drift" might also be a total misnomer.

There are purely oceanic (basaltic) plates. To the extent there is a
definable difference, it is the composition: continental crust
(granitic).

[And I am perfectly happy with Greenland and Madagascar being considered
continents].

--
The peace of God be with you.

Stanley Friesen

.

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