isostasy, ideal theoretical balance of all large portions of Earth's lithosphere as though they were floating on the denser underlying layer, the
Which is an example of isostasy?
Isostasy describes vertical movement of land to maintain a balanced crust. ... Greenland is an example of isostasy in action. The Greenland land mass is mostly below sea level because of the weight of the ice cap that covers the island. If the ice cap melted, the water would run off and raise sea level.
How does isostasy occur?
Isostasy is the rising or settling of a portion of the Earth's lithosphere that occurs when weight is removed or added in order to maintain equilibrium between buoyancy forces that push the lithosphere upward, and gravity forces that pull the lithosphere downward.
