Airy hypothesis

geology
Also known as: Airy model

Learn about this topic in these articles:

place in theories of isostasy

  • In isostasy

    The Airy hypothesis says that Earth’s crust is a more rigid shell floating on a more liquid substratum of greater density. Sir George Biddell Airy, an English mathematician and astronomer, assumed that the crust has a uniform density throughout. The thickness of the crustal layer is…

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