Glossary
The English version of our glossary is currently under construction and will be regularly updated.
isostatic
Isostatic refers to a situation in which the forces affecting a given region or object are so balanced that the system as a whole remains in equilibrium. For example, when sea ice grows and its thickness increases, it gradually rises above the water level so as to maintain isostatic equilibrium.
The term “isostatic” refers in particular to the balance between forces in the lithosphere, the Earth’s rigid outer shell, and the density of the underlying asthenosphere, the flexible and ductile part of the planet’s upper mantle. When e.g. erosion or deposition changes the distribution of mass in the lithosphere, the asthenosphere rises or falls in an attempt to restore equilibrium. The phenomenon of isostacy is important in geology and geophysics, where it is used to explain geological processes like mountain formation, plate tectonics, and erosion.