| As a result of glacial isostatic adjustment the Earth's surface is experiencing a slow, three-dimensional deformation. This thesis presents a detailed study of the horizontal aspect of this deformation, parallel to the surface of the Earth. The analytical solutions for the horizontal displacement that results from the loading of simple earth models are derived from the set of equations that describe the system. Numerical results using the mathematical manipulation program, Matlab, and the finite element modeling program, ABAQUS, are found to be accurate through comparisons with the analytical solutions. ABAQUS is used to study the effect of loading on more complex earth models that include lateral variations, nonlinear rheology and time dependent creep. For most models a maximum horizontal displacement is obtained at the edge of the load. This motion is found to be most sensitive to the thickness of the elastic lithosphere, lateral variations and nonlinear rheology. |
