ABSTRACT

Consideration of the crustal response of the Earth to loading and unloading by ice and water masses has assisted greatly in our understanding of the structure of the Earth's interior, which in turn has significantly enhanced understanding of plate tectonics. A mobile lithosphere is a fundamental element in the thermal convective models used in theories of continental drift (Jarvis and Peltier 1982). Particular controversy has focused on whether or not there is a relatively low-viscosity asthenosphere that enables subcrustal compensation whenever loads are applied to or removed from the lithosphere (Table 11.1) 1 .