The Earth expansion theory and its transition from scientific hypothesis to pseudoscientific belief

Abstract

Abstract. During the first half of 20th century, the dominant global tectonics model based on Earth contraction had increasing problems accommodating new geological evidence, with the result that alternative geodynamic theories were investigated. Due to the level of scientific knowledge and the limited amount of data available in many scientific disciplines at the time, not only was contractionism considered a valid scientific theory but the debate also included expansionism, mobilism on a fixed-dimension planet, or various combinations of these geodynamic hypotheses. Geologists and physicists generally accepted that planets could change their dimensions, although the change of volume was generally believed to happen because of a contraction, not an expansion.

Expanding Earth and declining gravity: a chapter in the recent history of geophysics

“…The subclass of expansion theories that relied on the G(t) hypothesis is of particular interest because it provided a surprising link between, on the one hand, modern cosmological theory and, on the other, the geological and palaeontological sciences. Despite attempts to defend the expanding Earth, the hypothesis has for long ceased to attract interest among mainstream geophysicists (Sudiro, 2014). Using advanced geodetic methods and measurement techniques a recent study has confirmed that Earth does not expand.…”

“…"It is clearly impossible," they concluded, "that a decreasing G could alone cause expansion on such a scale that a fissure between Africa and South America would yawn some 5000 km in width" (Lyttleton and Finch, 1977). At the latest, by 1980 the expanding Earth theory had been marginalised, separated off from mainstream geophysics and eventually to evolve into a theory with features of pseudoscience (Sudiro, 2014). However, attempts to test the G(t) hypothesis, whether associated with the earth sciences or not, continued.…”

“…The most scholarly work on the subject is contained in Henry Frankel's four-volume work on the history of plate tectonics (Frankel, 2012a). However, with the exception of a recent paper on modern attempts to keep expansionism alive (Sudiro, 2014), there are no historical studies that focus on the expanding Earth research programme in its own right and not merely as an appendix to the development of plate tectonics (but see Nunan, 1988 for a philosophical perspective).…”

An Expanding Earth - A reply to two recent denial papers

“…In the March 2019 issue of the Rendiconti Online of the SGI, a paper (Sudiro, 2019;hereafter PS2) presented numerous criticisms of the theory of terrestrial expansion, focusing on the implications that paleomagnetic data, particularly the paleopoles, have as evidence for the Expanding Earth concept. An earlier more general publication by the same author and on the same subject appeared in the EGU History of the Earth Sciences journal in 2014 (2014 (Sudiro, 2014;hereafter PS1). The author's intention is clearly to refute the idea of terrestrial expansion.…”

Indications from space geodesy, gravimetry and seismology for slow Earth expansion at present – comment on “The Earth expansion theory and its transition from scientific hypothesis to pseudoscientific belief” by Sudiro (2014)

“…In this journal, Paolo Sudiro (2014) recently made an extremely critical assessment of a theory that had already gained considerable notoriety: the expanding Earth theory. This theory has waxed and waned in popularity for more than a century, but with Sudiro's assessment -that it carries on only as a form of "pseudoscientific belief" -it would seemingly have found its nadir.…”