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Plate tectonics at the moment is basically a train trip.
The lava wells up here, plates subduct there, and we're
all
along for the ride.
With ever-increasing lifespans and the threat of climate
change, it is surely time for the more foreward-thinking
nations to take control of matters.
Work
needs to begin now, if not before, on developing
the
necessary technology to lubricate fault lines and
encourage
the right sort of mantle convection. In short, we need to
get a grip on where we're all going.
The continent that masters this technology first
will surely have a tremendous advantage, being able to
steal a march on the others and pick a prime spot in
whatever parts of the globe are destined to be
favourable
in the climate of the future.
Continental nations such as Australia will, naturally, find
it
easier to reach a consensus and start heading for their
ideal destination. Multinational continents, such as
North
America, would be well advised to begin discussions
now. England, of course, will continue to be inseperably
blighted by France wherever we go but, on the plus side,
we might be able to subduct Wales.
Floating_20UK
[not_morrison_rm, Apr 17 2012]
Society for the Prevention of Plate Tectonics
http://www.wimble.o...preventionhome.html
The Enemy. (But they look like us...) [lurch, Apr 17 2012]
[link]
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Fantastic idea - although I'm worried that "lubricate
fault lines" might be a euphemism for something. |
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Sure, and everybody is going to wind up huddled together on the other side of the globe, as far away as they can get from wherever Australia is going. |
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The thing of it is, the whole cause/effect
relationship is going to be a bit strung out.
Therefore, by the time you realize you're going to
wind up living next to [Ubie], it may be too late to
make any change. |
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It will give the phrase "we will bury you" new life. |
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Each plate should be clearly labeled with a number,
except the Arabian, which would be be removed,
and set aside in some convenient place (the Moon,
for example). The goal is then to arrange the
numbers in either left-right top-bottom order (a win
for the English-speaking team) or top-bottom left-
right (a win for the Mandarin-speakers). Use of
thermonuclear devices is considered unsporting. |
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I think we might need a rudder the size of... |
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How does an ammonite climb a mountain?
It sits on some shale and waits for uplift. |
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//Use of thermonuclear devices is considered unsporting.// except along the San Andreas where it can be considered "weight reduction". |
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//Use of thermonuclear devices is considered unsporting.// |
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You're no fun any more ... |
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// by the time you realize you're going to wind up living next to [Ubie], it may be too late to make any change. // |
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Except perhaps assisted suicide ... |
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// on the plus side, we might be able to subduct Wales. // |
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We're in. Where should we mail the cheque ? |
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////Use of thermonuclear devices is considered
unsporting.//
You're no fun any more ...// |
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Oh, for Crom's sake pay attention. Did I say \\abuse
of thermonuclear devices\\ ? No, I don't think I said
that. |
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Australia set something of a continental drift
speed record when it broke from Antarctica,
moving at about 120mm/year. It has slowed to
around 70mm/year at the moment, which is still a
lot faster than Indonesia would like us to be going,
as it keeps causing these really nasty volcanoes
and earthquakes. |
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Interesting that the Wallace Line clearly
demarcates the "Old World" of squirrels and
conifers and deciduous species from the (actually
older) monotremes, marsupials and Myrtaceae
plants, despite the line being a subduction zone
for tens of millions of years. |
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I'd also be wary of lubricating fault lines too
vigorously. Krakatau and Tambora are both
examples of catastrophic volcanic explosions
where the force of the blast was exacerbated by
the presence of water in the subduction zone,
flashing to steam when it came into contact with
very hot magma as the magma chamber ruptured. |
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Finally, [Max], I admire your zeal in looking ahead
so far. However, you're going to be a long-
forgotten brain in a long-forgotten jar of nutrient
broth by the time any continental drift has really
changed your geographical location. Might I
suggest air travel? Quicker, cheaper and safer. |
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It might have its downsides. For example GPS. When the plane I was on landed in Tokyo (actually it's in Chiba prefecture, but let's not quibble) at the end of May it actually did land on the runway. |
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Seeing as the entire plate has moved (so I'm told 15 metres) it should have missed the runway. So a bit of forward planning on the GPS front might not go amiss unless of course you don't mind driving through rivers or whatever. |
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//you're going to wind up living next to [Ubie]// |
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I don't want to appear smug, but with a bit of foresight one simply perches oneself on the other side of the same tectonic plate as [Ubie] lives on, then he can lubricate the fault lines all he wants - but he will never get any closer. |
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At first read I thought this was about migration amongst the Germanic peoples of the world. (That always lead to trouble). |
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The opposite side of the tectonic plate on which I
live, is in Somalia. Good luck with that, sucker! |
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//Germanic peoples of the world.// |
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Is that including or excluding the Anglo-Saxons? |
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//some element of bumper cars to this// |
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That, my friend, is precisely we have installed
Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Wight as
crumple-zones. |
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I notice that your buffers are installed predominately to
the west, with a bit up top as well. Planning to re-take the
colonies, are we? |
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They didn't realize the Titanic's route would be ice-free by the time they make their crossing. |
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Or maybe it's prep for the next climatological downturn... (so, Her Majesty's Swamp UK strikes a berg, or a seamount, and she's going down by the West Countries, the Thames flowing backward and the cliffs of Dover are five thousand fathoms up - that's when they'll realize they didn't design in enough pubs) |
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I rather like the idea. It could be enhanced by
cutting the world's landmasses into individual
countries, so they each form their own "tectonic
plate". |
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That way countries could form economic alliances
by moving closer to each other, as required, or
farther away as relations cooled. |
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It would also allow little, tiny countries, like
Monaco and San Marino and Leichtenstein, to
footle about under the power of a couple of
outboard motors, kept afloat with a stack of
waterproof beanbags. |
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Greece is already doing that with their economy, so why
not the whole country? |
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[+] and I can rather easily picture the ad campaign to get people to show their landmass allegiance, "Department of Continental Direction", thinktanks, up-to-the-minute reporting, etc. |
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//That way countries could form economic alliances by moving closer to each other, as required, or farther away as relations cooled.// |
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//some obscure way to exploit free-trade areas by passing through them sequentially. //Floating UK idea.. |
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Obviously this would lead to an increase in bank robberies, the robber would simply rob the bank on the other side of the fault line and wait...would suit criminals with a great deal of patience. |
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// criminals with a great deal of patience.// |
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They're called politicians. |
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Both of my parents are doctors. |
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But still they couldn't fix you. :) |
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"Ask your doctor if tectonic migration is right for you." |
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"Welcome to the Sudan-North Korea-Texas-France continent. We shall be victorious!" |
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I really think this is about the UK becoming a belligerent
state on the global scale. [Max] has cleverly proposed this
as something anyone can do, but he's already set things up
for his invasion; the UK eases out into the North Atlantic,
picking up Iceland on the way to vanguard the southern tip
of Ireland. Using Scotland as a giant wear-plate, they
scrape down the coast of Greenland, all the while
compacting into one big battering-ram landmass with
Wales as the weldment, crashing excrutiatingly slowly into
Massachusetts to exact tectonic retribution on the Former
Colonies (aka 'the ones that got away'). What he's not
counting on is having my well-indoctrinated descendants
waiting up here in the mountains, ready to come screaming
down with broadswords and assault rifles to slip in behind
his battle line and wreak the havoc that we so skillfully
wreak. Vikings in your flanks--never a pleasant ordeal. |
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I think I already did that with my katamari. |
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images of fresh conscripts being issued regulation-sized paddles, house of parliament debates of direction, environmental impact statements of churned water along shorelines, dolphins laughing themselves silly. |
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Where'd my previous anno migrate to? |
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Is one of the UnaBubba one's yours? |
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No such luck [bliss], but maybe I could borrow one of them. |
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Android browsing is a little challenging, particularly
whilst driving. |
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I read that as "while drinking". Hmmm... |
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I read that as "white drinking"... hmmm. |
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