INTRODUCTION/MAIN Introduction/Main BACKGROUND Seafarer's Challenge Why This Interest Continental Drift Oppositions to Drift Craftsman's Approach EMPIRICAL MODEL The Empirical Model Expansion Basics Model Construction Expansion Basics Model Construction Model Demonstration Riverbed Formation Video Demonstration CONCLUSIONS Conclusions Summary of Evidence The Mid-Oceans Crests Making Mountains & The Pacific Ocean Moon Expulsion Earthquakes An Impact Vision EXPANSION CARTOGRAPHY Expansion Cartography The Big Picture Waterworld Inland Evidence EXPAND HOW? Expand How? Owen's Plasma Core Continental Shelves EPILOGUE Epilogue BOOK INFO Book Info / Feedback

RIVERBED FORMATION As mentioned, the simulated continents were moulded with a curvature of 7.5 inches to conform to the circumference of the deflated balloon. When the balloon was inflated to 12 inches, the simulated continents remained cupped above the new circumference and the continental perimeters traced onto the balloon withdrew from the perimeters of the domed continents. To adhere to the traced perimeters and accommodate expansion, the continents had to stretch. Stretching naturally created stress in the continents. Incisions were made at the points of greatest tension located along the continental perimeters. With the tension released, the domes relaxed; the continents spread out to reach their traced perimeters. In all cases the greatest stress occurred at the location of the Earth's major rivers. This development suggests that the major riverbeds came into existence as a result of expansion rather than random erosion. Since the continents were fixed on an expanding surface, it may be logically deduced that expansion caused the land masses to stretch and, at the points of greatest tension, to break, thus forming the rivers.  Model Construction |  Evidence & Conclusions Top | Main