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To: Bernard Marx
It might be fruitful for experts to investigate why Pangaea started to break up after what appears to be a long period of equilibrium.

Pangaea broke up because it had been together quite long enough and it was all a big mistake to begin with, thank you very much.

:-)

I wonder a lot, as well, about what kinds of events were involved in bringing deep plutonic rocks like Kimberlites to the surface in Africa, Siberia, Canada, Australia and other regions where diamond "pipes" are found. Could they have been the result of powerful impact events?

No. Kimberlites are diatremes, which are caused by violent, volatile-rich eruptions from the deep mantle (hence, the diamonds, which require very high pressures to crystallize). Impacts, even the very largest events, only affect the upper few kilometers of planetary crusts.

23 posted on 01/29/2002 10:37:42 AM PST by Cincinatus
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To: Cincinatus
Pangaea broke up because it had been together quite long enough and it was all a big mistake to begin with, thank you very much.

Who got the ring? Very funny response but it doesn't help much with my question.

Kimberlites are diatremes, which are caused by violent, volatile-rich eruptions from the deep mantle

Can you point me in the direction of books/info on diatreme eruptions and their cause? (I'll Google as soon as I finish this message). They seem to be very ancient events, but possibly violent enough in themselves to have influenced earth's biology if any occurred within the time life has been evolving.

24 posted on 01/29/2002 10:49:30 AM PST by Bernard Marx
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