Docking

Docking may refer to:

In science and technology

Other uses

See also

Docking (dog)

Docking is the removal of portions of an animal's tail. While docking and bobbing are more commonly used to refer to removal of the tail, the term cropping is used in reference to the ears. Tail docking occurs in one of two ways. The first involves constricting the blood supply to the tail with a rubber ligature for a few days until the tail falls off. The second involves the severance of the tail with surgical scissors or a scalpel. The length to which tails are docked varies by breed, and is often specified in the breed standard.

At least 170 dog breeds have naturally occurring bob tail lines. These appear similar to docked dogs but are a distinct naturally occurring genotype.

History

Purpose

Historically, tail docking was thought to prevent rabies, strengthen the back, increase the animal's speed, and prevent injuries when ratting, fighting, and baiting. In early Georgian times in the United Kingdom a tax was levied upon working dogs with tails, so many types of dogs were docked to avoid this tax. The tax was repealed in 1796 but that did not stop the practice from persisting.

Accretion (geology)

Accretion is a process by which material is added to a tectonic plate or a landmass. This material may be sediment, volcanic arcs, seamounts or other igneous features.

Description

There are two types of geologic accretion—plate accretion and landmass accretion.

The first involves the addition of material to a tectonic plate. When two tectonic plates collide, one of the plates may slide under the other, a process known as subduction. The plate which is being subducted (the plate going under), is floating on the asthenosphere and is pushed up and against the other, subducting plate. Sediment on the ocean floor will often be scraped by the subducting plate. This scraping causes the sediment to come off the subducted plate and form a mass of material called the accretionary wedge, which attaches itself to the upper, subducting plate. Volcanic island arcs or seamounts may collide with the continent, and as they are of relatively light material (i.e. low density) they will often not be subducted, but are thrust into the side of the continent, thereby adding to it.