The Expanding Earth Theory offers the idea that continental movements and positioning are due not to actual movement, but because the volume of the Earth is increasing. This theory offers three specific hypotheses.
- That the mass of the Earth has remained constant, which has caused surface gravitational pulls to be decreased as time passes.
- The mass of the Earth has grown in volume in such a way that it has allowed surface gravity to remain constant.
- Surface gravity has increased over time due to the Earth growing in both mass and volume.
Since the discovery of the tectonic plates, the Expanding Earth Theory has been essentially debunked. This is because the hypotheses behind the theory have never been shown to have a verifiable mechanism of action. There hasn’t even been a plausible one on the hypothetical level.
The scientific community also believes that these specific key points that have been verified are able to contradict the key points that are made in the Expanding Earth Theory.
1. High-precision measurements disprove growth.
Using high-precision geodetic techniques to create models of the planet, measurements of the horizontal motions of rigid plates that are independent at the surface are found to have an accuracy of 0.2mm and show no growth of the planet at all. This is believed to prove that the solid planet is now growing larger within the results of current, small uncertainties.
2. The motions of plates and subduction zones.
The very motion of the various tectonic plates, along with the subduction zones, offers a reflection of specific techniques that support plate tectonics instead of an expanding planet. This encompasses geodetic, geological, and geophysical techniques that show consistency within the planet’s size instead of its ongoing expansion.
3. Lithosphere imaging supports consumption.
When the imaging of lithosphere fragments is reviewed, it shows that the mantle of the planet supports consumption. This occurs through a process called “subduction.” The lithosphere is defined as being the outer part of our planet, which consists of the upper mantle and the crust.
Subduction is a process that takes place when one tectonic plate moves underneath another and is forced to sink into the mantle of the planet. This is how subduction zones are created. As the plate goes into the upper layer of the mantle, the heat of the planet consumes the excess amount within the subduction zone so that the size of the planet remains consistent.
This is how mountain building and island arcs are created. It is also why there are greater periods of earthquakes found in this area, since two plates are moving together, with one being shoved underneath.
4 Long-term calculations may indicate size consistency.
Researchers have used paleomagnetism, or the study of magnetic fields within the rocks of our planet, to help calculate what the size of the ancient world would have been. Although this specific debunking effort of the Expanding Earth theory is contested, the results show that the overall size of the Earth was very similar 400 million years ago to what it happens to be today.
5. Geological data from ancient Earth show consistency.
Another way to examine the overall size development of the planet is to look at geological data from the Paleozoic Era. By looking at the moment of inertia, which is the angular mass of the planet, there is evidence to conclude that there has not been a significant change to the size of Earth’s radius in over 600 million years.
Is There Any Evidence Which Supports the Expanding Earth Theory?
The primary evidence that is used to support the idea of the Expanding Earth theory is the concept of Pangea. Because the continents seem to fit together like a planetary-sized puzzle, the thought is that during the late Paleozoic period, there was a time of expansion that allowed the land mass on our planet to break apart and be separated by the upwelling of a growing ocean.
Some support the idea of a smaller planet because it would have lower overall gravity. This would allow the great dinosaurs to be able to develop and move with greater ease than what our standard gravity would allow today. There are also arguments that involve the topology of the ocean floor and how it may show “expansion scars” from planetary expansion.
The scientific community supports tectonic plate theory based on observable evidence. Although the Expanding Earth theory cannot be completed debunked, it is an idea that is generally not accepted today.