Pernese Geology

[PastMember]

Seeing as I try not to assume too many things -- especially about a world from which I have taken a long vacation -- I thought I would ask a few questions.  This serves a triple purpose: (1) I will learn something, (2) other people will learn something, and (3) I can give up on my heretofore fruitless research.

Minecraft, from what I can tell, has three main components (please correct me if I am wrong).  Actual mining/quarrying.  Construction/masonry.  And the geological sciences.  The last of the three is, obviously, more closely related to "pure" science and scientific research, departing from the other product-oriented sub-crafts.

Now, with that foundation in mind, I pose my questions; my curiosity is rooted in those assumptions.  It may not seem like it, but I assure you that is the case.

`-: Is Pern's interior structure similar to Earth's?  What with a metallic core and a silicate mantle and crust, that is.

`-: Supposing Pern is very Earth-like, where might fault lines be found in "our" Pern?

`-: And, lastly, volcanoes.  I would like to assume that there are a handful near the original Landing site and some dotted off the coast near Dolphin Cove Weyr, but my assumptions often lead me astray.  Any ideas where volcanoes might be found?

To whomever answers, I would like to extend my deepest thanks.  Answering trivial questions cannot be too terribly fun; I just hope it isn't too terribly painful, either.

[Bree]

I think that basic geology and plate techtonics is one of those things I'd prefer to leave to the imagination until we have a plotline where we'd need to know.

It is something we can consider, and we'll let you know if we decide, but something this involved would take up FAR too much time for the Council to decide... and we need some time for writing, too. ;)

[PastMember]

Ouch. My brain hurts now--Bree's right, unless this is relative to a storyline (and even then I can't see it being that indepth--we're talking a fandom club for fun here), then I can't see Council debating/discussing these issues.

However, some of this information regarding Pern might be available in the Dragon Lover's Guide--there are some extensive discussions on the 'make-up' of Pern there and, when all else fails, I refer to the creator of the world itself for answers. I mean, these are things that might be thought of during what's called 'world-building' (during which an author comes up with all the whos-it's and what-'em so that their world seems more complete); seldom do they actually *write* about them, preferring to focus on plots and characters, with maybe a few elements of what they created during their world building tossed in.

~Nici

[PastMember]

Quoting my trusty Atlas of Pern:

From page 1:

Volcanism is present in the north, but the only active volcanoes are one on the southern coast of Tillek, and one near Ista Island. The volcanoes housing the various Weyrs are extinct, though there is still sufficient volcanism remaining in the vicinity of each to produce hot water and hatching sands. There are more earthquakes in the Souther continent than in the north; and more active volcanoes, such as the string of smoking islands extending into the Southern Sea north of the Two-Faced Mountain, and the one Piemur sees "pop up out of the ocean and spew fiery rock and ask about." (The White Dragon)

A "ring of fire" can be drawn through the Barrier Ranges north and south   - with offshoots extending through all the south-trending mountains of the Northern Continent, and through the chain of islands in the east - to encompass virtually all the known volcanic areas of Pern. the vast expanse of such a line is not unreasonable, for Pern is subjected to uncommon stress: "All the Passes, each one stressing our poor world, caused upheaval and destruction..." (Dragonflight)

The ring of fire is far more active in the south than the north, but the sheer size of the Southern Continent makes it unlikely that "natural disasters" were, as Robinton contends, the sole reason for the Ancients to have moved north (Dragonquest). N'ton's theory that the Southern Continent was abandoned to let the grubs grow in strength there (Dragondrums) was quite likely to be a factor, as well.

From page 148:

Land-forming processes occurred on Pern millennia before the first colonists arrived. The landscape found by those first arrivals was basically the same as it is now, three thousand years later; but the maps discovered aboard the landing craft in the Ship Meadow do reveal some changes...Tillek peninsula was larger in the Ancients' time than is is now and its south shore volcano had not yet appeared; the Dragon Stones were still a solid spur; the Great Bay was not yet underwater, just as some of the coastline father east was exposed and is now submerged; and the island volcanoes north of the Mountain had not yet appeared above sea level.

A less pragmatic, but fascinating benefit of the maps is that an analysis allows us to conjecture about the origin of the lands as we now know them. The first stage was a drifting apart of the single land mass which originally was centred on the equator. the visible land surfaces consist of great plates which can drift inch by inch. The Great Barrier ranges of the north and south continents were piled up through the pressure of the continental plates sliding north and south, respectively...

It goes on a bit, and has diagrams showing plate boundaries. I think the moral of the story is that if you're keen on Pernese geology, get a copy of the Atlas of Pern! It's out of print but second-hand copies can still be found on Amazon and eBay.

From these quotes, it would seem that Pern's interior structure is indeed similar to Earth's. The important plate boundaries in the Southern Continent basically seem to go along the Barrier Ranges in our map, and up the river on which Emerald Falls is situated.

In our club, Dolphin Cove Weyr is located in an extinct volcano, but not our other two Weyrs, which are both cut into seaside cliffs. Dolphin Cove was also founded by survivors of an earthquake which levelled Thayan Peak Weyrhold (clearly the people of DCW like living dangerously!)

If people think it would help their plotting, I could make an edited copy of our club map showing fault lines and volcanoes (similar to the 'Timezones' map) when I get a moment - let me know!