Hello Confluence & Don
My memory is admittedly failing me these days, but I don't believe Rory Moore was the name of the man in charge of CNB when I was researching it. His credentials sound far more industry focused than did the gentleman's I recall. It is refreshing to have someone with his training to assist in the exploration program.
With regard to your last question, find three + Canadian pipes that reflect sunlight.
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Don - No, actually, I do believe in the theory, but there are still geologists who do not, just as there are a number of Geologists and Paleontologists who do not subscribe to the KT Extinction theory and the Yucatan as the impact site. But then, there are people who believe that Yogi Fliers can solve the Yugoslavian conflict too.
With regard to the continental drift theory, I have never heard or read a credible rational for why there was supposed to have been one single continent (Pangea) in the first place? That seems unlikely in my mind considering the way the earth was believed to have been formed.
It is easy enough to rationalize, substantiate and visualize the continental drift that has gone on since, but why should we presuppose that it has not been going on essentially from day one?
Additionally, why would a craton (250km thick) such as the one suggested to be originally shared by Angola and Brazil split, when the land around it is so much weaker (40km or less). Logically, wouldn't you think that a craton suddenly finding itself with a tectonic rift developing under it, be more likely to behave more like an anvil being pulled out of playdough than an egg being cracked? In other words, within the limits of my admittedly limited intellect, it seems more likely to me that a craton would pull off or away intact (cemented to one or the other plate) and away from whatever plate has less of a grip on it.
Logically, a rift or hot spot should choose the path of least resistance and develop around the thickest/strongest part of the crust.
Having said that, there are rift valleys on cratons around the world including the Graben hosting many of Angola's pipes. Therefore all head scratching to the contrary, evidence does suggest that these cratons do rift and have parted.
Clearly, there are geological mechanisms and dynamics at work in these instances that are no where near clearly understood. The whole continental rift theory is no more than 20 years old and much remains to be postulated, discovered and used, to model mineral exploration programs.
Regards |
