Answer
Isostasy is the principle that explains how the Earth's lithosphere, including continents and oceanic plates, floats on the denser, semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath it. It involves a state of equilibrium between the forces of buoyancy and gravitational attraction. When weight is added to a floating object, it will sink lower into the fluid until the displaced fluid's weight matches the added weight, achieving a new equilibrium position. When weight is removed from a floating object, it will rise until the displaced fluid's weight equals the removed weight, establishing a new equilibrium.
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