Conferencia: “Not written in stone» / 20 junio 2018
“Not written in stone» / «No escrito en piedra»
50 years of Plate Tectonic theory and origin of the Caribbean / 50 años de la teoría de tectónica de placas y el origen del Caribe.
Dr. Keith H. James
CONFERENCIA
Fecha: 20 junio 2018
Hora: 20,15
Lugar: Museo de la Evolución Humana MEH. Burgos
Dr. Keith H. James. Consultant geologist. Honorary member of the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Aberystwyth, Wales, UK / Geólogo consultor. Miembro honorario del Departamento de Geografía y Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Aberystwyth, Gales, Reino Unido
A little more than 50 years ago, the Earth Sciences experienced a “revolution”, with formulation of “Plate Tectonic” theory. By recognizing “plates¨ on Earth’s crust, how they form and move, driven by spreading of ocean floors, explanations for formation and divergence of continents, mountain ranges, volcanic arcs, zones of volcanism and earthquakes were born: the Plate Tectonic paradigm was born.
At the same time, it was proposed that the Caribbean Plate formed in the Pacific Ocean and became engulfed by eastward-migrating North and South America.
In this presentation, Dr. James will explain how plate tectonics, as taught, is perhaps too complacent and should be adapted to accommodate new data and multiple working hypotheses. He will discuss evidence showing that the Caribbean formed in place, is related to North and South America and probably carries significant hydrocarbon reserves.
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