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Plate Tectonics and Europa’s Icy Shell

Das, A (2018) Plate Tectonics and Europa’s Icy Shell. In: Resonance, 23 (6). pp. 669-681.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-018-0663-6

Abstract

A unique attribute of Earth is the presence of plate tectonics. Not only does it give rise to continents, mountain chains, and ocean basins but also promotes a high level of biodiversity. It is the reason for the formation of the so-called ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ – a belt of intense volcanic activity and a large number of earthquakes surrounding the Pacific ocean. But what drives the plate motion? Did Earth always have plate tectonics? These are some fascinating geoscientific questions. In trying to answer these questions, an effort is made to impress upon the reader the vast ocean of uncertainty, and hence the opportunity, in the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences. To make it more engaging, the article provides a peek into the long process which culminated in the present-day theory of plate tectonics on Earth. While the first half of the article focuses on subduction and its cause, the second half summarizes a recent finding made on the surface of Europa. In view of readability across disciplines, the complex subject details are kept to bare minimum.

Item Type: Journal Article
Publication: Resonance
Publisher: Springer
Additional Information: The copyright for this article belongs to the Springer.
Keywords: continental drift theory; Earth; Europa; ice shell; plate tectonics; subduction
Department/Centre: Division of Mechanical Sciences > Centre for Earth Sciences
UG Programme
Date Deposited: 11 Aug 2022 09:29
Last Modified: 11 Aug 2022 09:29
URI: https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/75518

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