Difference between revisions of "1829: Geochronology"

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==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
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:[Ponytail is gesturing toward some rock formations in a grass field while addressing Megan and Cueball who are looking down at the rocks, Cueball with a hand to his chin.]
:[Cueball, Ponytail, and Megan are standing in a field.]
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:Ponytail: This bedrock likely formed as the Dalmatian microplate subducted under East Laika during the Upper Pomeranian.
:Ponytail: [Gesturing toward a rock formation] This bedrock likely formed as the Dalmatian microplate subducted under East Laika during the Upper Pomeranian.
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:Cueball: Ah, yes.
:Cueball: [Touching his chin thoughtfully] Ah, yes.
 
  
 
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Revision as of 12:18, 26 April 2017

Geochronology
'The mountains near here formed when the ... Newfoundland ... microplate collided with, uhh ... Labrador.' 'Ok, now you're definitely just naming dogs.' 'Wait, no, that's actually almost correct.'
Title text: 'The mountains near here formed when the ... Newfoundland ... microplate collided with, uhh ... Labrador.' 'Ok, now you're definitely just naming dogs.' 'Wait, no, that's actually almost correct.'

Explanation

Ambox notice.png This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Please add some more information on Newfoundland geology.
If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.
Ponytail is describing the origin of some rock formations to Megan and Cueball. She apparently forgot the names of the microplates and the age when the subduction occurred, so she substituties them with names of dog breeds (Dalmatian, Laika and Pomeranian) to seem knowledgeable and impress her audience.

Although no microplates or geological ages with these names exist, this is not obvious for people outside of the field, as dog breeds are often named after geographic regions. For example Dalmatia is the name of a region in Croatia, and a microplate named after it could exist. Likewise, the Laika plate could be named after the Laika island in Vanatu. Geological ages are often named after place where the first rocks dating from the age were found e.g. the Devonian is named after the English county of Devon, while the Permian is named after the Russian city of Perm. Thus, a pomeranian age named after Pomerania, a region on the Baltic Sea split between Poland and Germany, might reasonably exist.

The title text highlights this problem: At first it seems that that Ponytail continues using dog breeds to name microplates, but the explanation is actually correct: The dog breeds Labrador and Newfoundland are named after the two Canadian regions Labrador and Newfoundland respectively - as are two microplates, whose relative movement did indeed lead to the formation of mountains in Newfoundland.

Subduction was featured in the previous comic 1388: Subduction License.

Transcript

[Ponytail is gesturing toward some rock formations in a grass field while addressing Megan and Cueball who are looking down at the rocks, Cueball with a hand to his chin.]
Ponytail: This bedrock likely formed as the Dalmatian microplate subducted under East Laika during the Upper Pomeranian.
Cueball: Ah, yes.
[Caption below the panel:]
Geology Tip: There are so many microplates and ages that no one remembers them all, so in a pinch you can bluff with dog breeds.


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Discussion

Have not edited here before, but the explanation given is missing that Munroe is likely using the strict geological definition of age -- the smallest and most numerous standard division of geologic time, and which frequently varies between regions and are indeed essentially impossible to memorize worldwide, even for specialists. (The examples of the Devonian and Permian given in the current explanation are periods, a division of time that is much longer, of which there are many fewer, and which most geologists would have memorized.) This global timescale from the International Commission on Stratigraphy lists the global standard ages on the far right of each column: http://www.stratigraphy.org/ICSchart/ChronostratChart2016-12.jpg This chart, also from the ICS, lists different national conventions of ages in the Ordovician period alone, and gives a good sense of the kinds of names used: http://www.stratigraphy.org/upload/OrdChartHigh.jpg A couple of dog breeds in there would probably not be noticed. Again, haven't edited here before, unsure if I should just go ahead and edit, or wait for discussion. 108.162.246.227 21:17, 26 April 2017 (UTC)

This might help explaining: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tectonic_plates Between the Newfoundland Plate (Canada) and the Labrador part of the Canadian Shield the Appalachian Mountains exist.--141.101.105.150 07:45, 26 April 2017 (UTC)

This link is probably more useful: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador I'll leave the detailed explanation to somebody with actual geologic knowledge of the region Condor70 (talk) 09:25, 26 April 2017 (UTC)

Did what I could, including why the title text isn't actually correct. I'm new to writing these, so feel free to adjust link density or general verbiage if I didn't match local conventions for them! Squeamish Ossifrage (talk) 16:43, 26 April 2017 (UTC)


Dalmatia is a place, but apparently doesn't have a microplate. It might be part of the joke since it makes the first listed microplate somewhat believable.

"Laika" may be an island in Vanuatu (thanks, Wikipedia) but it's not a breed, it's only possibly The Most Famous Dog Ever Ever Ever. --141.101.107.18 11:58, 26 April 2017 (UTC)

Apparently it's also a breed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika_(dog_breed) 162.158.79.5 20:27, 28 April 2017 (UTC)