Rock that is thrust upward near continental rifts erodes more quickly than land within stable continents. Because of this, the escarpments retreat from the edges of the rift, leaving sheer cliff faces and sometimes large, flat plateaus visible. Scientists posited that a similar force was also at work on inland formations in the continents, but until now, there was little understanding of how the rock was rising.
Using their statistical model, geologists discovered that continental rifts could cause a wave of surface erosion that lasts for tens of millions of years, further lightening the area and forming plateaus as the land continues to rise. The mystery of what is causing huge rock formations on the continents to continue rising for millions of years has been resolved by researchers at Southampton. The findings are an upset in geodynamic science, which formerly considered stable areas of the continent to be relatively constant.
Source: Nature
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