isostatic

isostatic [ahy-suh-stat-ik] ExamplesWord Origin adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by isostasy.

Origin of isostatic First recorded in 1885–90; iso- + static Related formsi·so·stat·i·cal·ly, adverb Examples from the Web for isostatic Historical Examples of isostatic

Isostatic, ī-so-stat′ik, adj. in hydrostatic equilibrium from equality of pressure.

Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)

Various

isostatic in Science isostasy [ī-sŏs′tə-sē]

1. Equilibrium in the Earth’s crust, in which an elevated part in one area is counterbalanced by a depressed part in another. Isostasy exists because the Earth’s crust is relatively light compared to the denser mantle over which it lies, and therefore behaves as if it is floating. Areas of the Earth’s crust rise or subside to accommodate added load (as from a glacier) or diminished load (as from erosion), so that the forces that elevate landmasses balance the forces that depress them.

Related formsisostatic adjective (ī′sō-stăt′ĭk)