isostasy

noun/aɪˈsɒstəsi/

Frequency rank: #19,996 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

the state of gravitational equilibrium in which the Earth's crust floats on the denser mantle, rising or sinking to maintain balance.

Illustration for the English word “isostasy”

Example sentence

Geologists study isostasy to understand how the Earth's crust floats in balance on the mantle below.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 19,901–20,000