isostasy
101stā- — To stand; with derivatives meaning “place or thing that is standing.” Oldest form *steə₂ , colored to *staə₂ , contracted to *stā . Derivatives include steed, stud2, arrest, instant, understand, static, prostitute, insist, ecstasy, and system. I …
102Europe — /yoor euhp, yerr / for 1; /yoo roh pee, yeuh / for 2, n. 1. a continent in the W part of the landmass lying between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, separated from Asia by the Ural Mountains on the E and the Caucasus Mountains and the Black and… …
103gravitation — gravitational, adj. gravitationally, adv. /grav i tay sheuhn/, n. 1. Physics. a. the force of attraction between any two masses. Cf. law of gravitation. b. an act or process caused by this force. 2. a sinking or falling …
104isostatic — isostatically, adv. /uy seuh stat ik/, adj. of, pertaining to, or characterized by isostasy. [1885 90; ISO + STATIC] * * * …
105Mars — /mahrz/, n. 1. the ancient Roman god of war and agriculture, identified with the Greek god Ares. 2. Astron. the planet fourth in order from the sun, having a diameter of 4222 miles (6794 km), a mean distance from the sun of 141.6 million miles… …
106Venus — /vee neuhs/, n., pl. Venuses for 2. 1. an ancient Italian goddess of gardens and spring, identified by the Romans with Aphrodite as the goddess of love and beauty. 2. an exceptionally beautiful woman. 3. (sometimes l.c.) Archaeol. a statuette of… …
107Carboniferous Period — Interval of geologic time 354–290 million years ago, marked by great changes in world geography. All the landmasses drew closer together as a result of tectonic plate movements. The supercontinent Gondwana occupied much of the Southern Hemisphere …
108Silurian Period — Interval of geologic time, 443–417 million years ago. The third period of the Paleozoic Era, the Silurian follows the Ordovician Period and precedes the Devonian. It marks the first appearance of land plants and jawed fishes. The continents were… …
109Barrell, Joseph — ▪ American geologist born Dec. 15, 1869, New Providence, N.J., U.S. died May 4, 1919, New Haven, Conn. geologist who proposed that sedimentary rocks (sedimentary rock) were produced by the action of rivers, winds, and ice (continental), as… …
110isostatic — 1. noun a) A line of constant stress. b) A state of equilibrium between two forces. 2. adjective Of or pertaining to isostasy or isostatics …
