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Isostasy identification and geology

The principle that the Earth's crust floats in gravitational equilibrium on the denser, partially molten asthenosphere, much as icebergs float in water. Thicker or less dense crust stands higher, while thinner or denser crust sinks lower. Isostatic adjustment occurs when mass is added or removed from the crust—for example, the loading and unloading of continental ice sheets causes crustal depression and subsequent rebound. Field: structural geology. Example: Scandinavia is still rising at up to 10 mm/year due to post-glacial isostatic rebound following the melting of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet approximately 10,000 years ago.. Related terms: Asthenosphere, Lithosphere, Post-glacial rebound, Gravity anomaly.

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.027557+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Isostasy mean in geology?
The principle that the Earth's crust floats in gravitational equilibrium on the denser, partially molten asthenosphere, much as icebergs float in water. Thicker or less dense crust stands higher, while thinner or denser crust sinks lower. Isostatic adjustment occurs when mass is added or removed from the crust—for example, the loading and unloading of continental ice sheets causes crustal depression and subsequent rebound.
What is an example of Isostasy?
Scandinavia is still rising at up to 10 mm/year due to post-glacial isostatic rebound following the melting of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet approximately 10,000 years ago.
Which earth-science field uses the term Isostasy?
Isostasy is used in structural geology.
Which terms are related to Isostasy?
Related terms in this reference are Asthenosphere, Lithosphere, Post-glacial rebound, Gravity anomaly.

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