If California were to break off from the United States, would it sink?or will it be able to stay above the sea

Question

If California were to break off from the United States, would it sink?or will it be able to stay above the sea

Answer 1

It couldn't "sink" since its not floating on the water. But, areas on the eastern edge that would be breaking off from the mainland were below sea level, the sea would come over it, making CA slightly smaller.

Answer 2

Sink with california - Youth Brigade

its a realy great punk song

Answer 3

Why do people ask this question so much?  It's not like the continents are floating on the ocean and so if a piece falls off it sinks.  No, it's the other way around.  The ocean rests on top of Earth's crust.

The portion of California west of the San Andreas fault will continue to move incredibly slowly to the northwest.  What will happen to California has already happened to Baja California.  It will separate from the rest of North America, the ocean will slowly fill the space creating a narrow sea, and California plus Baja California will become a very, very long and narrow island.  Eventually in 50-100 million years, that island will move along with the Pacific Plate to the northwest where it will collide with Alaska and over millions of years the rocks that make up California will get smooshed into Alaska, and Alaska will get larger.  Almost all of Alaska was formed this way.

So, if you live in Los Angeles and you don't like cold weather, don't live to be 100 million years old.

Answer 4

The only way that California would sink, would be into the crust of the earth. A study of the earth's mantle would show you just how unlikely your supposition is. There is a lot of rock between what you see, and the material that goes all the way to the core of the earth. California would no more sink into the ocean than Staten Island in New York City has. Perhaps you have seen to many disaster movies, or listened to to many tall tales. Education and knowledge forestalls such wild imaginations.

Answer 5

WITH ALL THE FRUITS IN SANFRANSICO.. IT WOULD SINK.. p**p DOES NOT FLOAT  

Answer 6

It would become an island

more specifically, the part west of the San Andreas fault would become an island. That part of California will eventually break off and head toward Alaska

Answer 7

no it will not sink because it is joined with saint andria's fault which is merged with a continental plate.

Answer 8

Stay. You see islands aren't sinking.

Answer 9

It would stay above the sea, the same way Hawaii and other islands do.

I hope it does... I wouldn't mind living on an island!

Answer 10

It definitely would not sink.  There are two types of tectonic plates.  the continental plates and the oceanic plates.  When they move the oceanic plates are heavier and move under the continental plates while more is made somewhere else.  the continental plates float and do not sink.  so no it will not sink but it would break off like people say.  it would take many thousands of years to move far enough away to see that it is an island.  water would first seep into the san andreas fault and it would look like a river.  those would grow bigger over the years.

Answer 11

Most of California is part of the North American Plate.  Offshore

in-bound plate has two choices.  It can be subducted under larger to merge with molten rock.  It can be carried by same molten material

hard alongside another of greater size.  Plate at Answer location was

previously subducted.  It all melted and some was vented upwards

out of volcanic regions.  My piece of crust had previously traveled eastward over the Pacific basin to slam ashore where Mexico stands

today.  The impact of India crunching north into Asia rippled eastward

and East Pacific Rim magma began a northerly movement that exists today.  My small crustal plate went with the flow and then turned east again into sucked-down gap that extended to today's Montana's eastern edge.  Yes, I'm being subducted and eastward volcano's vomit the melt frequently.  The western edge of California is moving north about one inch yearly.  This will eventually smack anew into North America.   I'll be gone.