Reply #12: "Isostatic Rebound" is too-seldom discussed [View All]

The increase in seismic activity in the last few decades MAY be a signal that I.R. (a.k.a. isostasy) is happening. At least, it's a hypothesis that would be productive to pursue.

With all due respect to Bikkhu, it is not unreasonable to suspect volcanic activity will be associated with isostasy. Since volcanoes are much more complex and varied things than isostasy-induced earthquakes, they are not likely to be an overwhelming part of these changes, but ought not be ignored. And there is the low-probability chance that one or more "supervolcanoes" could be triggered into eruptions. Yellowstone is close to its cyclic eruption period of 650 Ka, and there may be deep hotspots ready to erupt for which we have no clue. Our good fortune is that these things happen on multi-thousand-year time scales.

Isostasy is a little-mentioned topic in geology, and the study of volcanism is still in its infancy (comparatively speaking), but they may become quite important over the next few centuries.

--d!