150 Is it Possible to Build a Perfect Continent?
Computers, Science, Tech | This program is completed
Continental crust is the long-time scorekeeper of Earth history, while ocean crust is ephemeral. We want to explore the makeup of continents and ask if a perfect one already exists. After an introduction to basic principles (session 1), we will explore the origin of continental and oceanic crust, explore the composition (rocks, structure, and evolution) of existing continents (session 2); continental growth (session 3); and roles of continental and oceanic crust through time (sessions 4 and 5); then build our own future ideal continent (session 5); and have a field-trip introduction (session 6). Field trip to northeast Tennessee and western North Carolina to see the only locally accessible old crust, recycled into newer Appalachian crust (Saturday, March 1). Field trip follow-up. Why do other planets not have continents (and oceans)? Does an already near-perfect continent exist?
Robert D. (Bob) Hatcher
Bob Hatcher is an Oak Ridge resident of some 40 years. He is a field scientist with his primary goal to unravel the tectonic history of the interiors of mountain chains. While he and graduate students have worked primarily in the Appalachian Mountains, he has spent many weeks in the field studying the internal makeup and tectonic history of other chains in Europe, South America, Siberia, and western North America.