plutonism

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | 365 words | Copyright

plutonism A theory of the formation of the Earth, prominently advocated by Hutton, and based on cycles of the growth, decay and regeneration of land masses. The forces involved in these cycles were heat and gravity, the heat deriving from subterranean fires. This generated volcanic rocks and granites, which rose molten from the Earth's interior, to form new land.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "plutonism." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "plutonism." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-plutonism.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "plutonism." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-plutonism.html

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