...floor or the creation process of it. Sea floor spreading and plate boundaries are not a common subject to anyone outside of a scientific or marine biology lab. The purpose of this paper is to identify plate boundaries. Compare and contrast ideas behind plate tectonics and the theory of the continental drift. There are many types of plate boundaries. Each one is unique in its own way. Below three of the primary types are described in detail. There are several natural events that occur as a direct result of plate boundary interaction. To properly understand the what and how of plate boundaries one must first know what they are. According to Annenberg Foundation (2014), “The border between two tectonic plates is called a boundary. All the tectonic plates are constantly moving — very slowly — around the planet, but in many different directions. Some are moving toward each other, some are moving apart, and some are sliding past each other” (para. 3). Divergent, convergent, and transform are the three primary types of plates. According to "Plate Tectonics" (2010) “A divergent boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other. Along these boundaries, lava spews from long fissures and geysers spurt superheated water. Frequent earthquakes strike along the rift. Beneath the rift, magma—molten rock—rises from the mantle” (divergent boundary). According to "Plate Tectonics" (2010), “When two plates come together, it is known as a convergent boundary. The impact...
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...lithosphere includes the crust and the uppermost mantle, which constitute the hard and rigid outer layer of the Earth. The lithosphere is underlain by the asthenosphere, the weaker, hotter, and deeper part of the upper mantle. The boundary between the lithosphere and the underlying asthenosphere is defined by a difference in response to stress: the lithosphere remains rigid for very long periods of geologic time in which it deforms elastically and through brittle failure, while the asthenosphere deforms viscously and accommodates strain through plastic deformation. The lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates. The uppermost part of the lithosphere that chemically reacts to the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere through the soil forming processis called the pedosphere. The concept of the lithosphere as Earth’s strong outer layer was developed by Joseph Barrell, who wrote a series of papers introducing the concept.[2][3][4][5] The concept was based on the presence of significant gravity anomalies over continental crust, from which he inferred that there must exist a strong upper layer (which he called the lithosphere) above a weaker layer which could flow (which he called the asthenosphere). These ideas were expanded by Harvard geologist Reginald Aldworth Daly in 1940 with his seminal work "Strength and Structure of the...
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...Introduction Plate tectonics is the main process that produces volcanoes, at subduction, convergent, and divergent zones. Yet, we see volcanic activity without the plate tectonics. “Hotspots” are found around the world. Many people who hear of the term hotspots, think of volcanoes and then the association of Hawaii, since it is a very common known hotspot. The Glossary of Geology (1987) defines “hotspots” as “a volcanic center, 100 to 200 km across and persistent for at least a few tens of millions of years, that is thought to be the surface expression of a persistent rising plume of hot mantle material. “Hotspots” are not linked with arcs, and may or may not be associated with oceanic ridges.” “hotspots” are formed in the ocean by producing...
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...concept crucial to the plate-tectonics in 1963.Wilson’s manuscript was published in 1963 became a milestone in plate tectonics.Wilson also proposed that there should be a transform-fault boundary does not create or destroy the crust.Wilson was a professor of geophysics at toronto from 1964 to 1974 and died in 1993.He was part of development of the plate tectonics in mid-1960s..Wilson became first person at any Canadian university to graduate in geophysical studies in 1930.Wilson became the world’s leading spokesman.Wilson most significant work involved finding support for continental drift and seafloor spreading.Science contribution wilson could do all of these and some where his jobs geophysics,geology,plate tectonics,transform faults,hotspots.Wilson also studyed seafloor...
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...Introduction to the Sciences Thomas Hays SCI101 Phase One Individual Project 15 September 2013 The world as we know it may or may not have always existed. The formations of land masses and, the joining of the waters and ice caps that we recognize as earth in aerial photographs likely looked very different in the past. In this paper I hope to shed some light on the theory of continental drift and explain the various ideologies that attempt to explain these theories. The first term that must be understood in order to grasp the theory of continental drift is plate tectonics. The idea of plate tectonics dates back to the 1600’s, but was not given much credibility until 1915. It was at this time that meteorologist Alfred Wegner released a book based on his study of the continents. He proposed that the continents of the earth were once connected. This idea was based not only on the fact that the continents fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, but also the fact that there are similar fossils of both plants and animals found in the areas which would be connected if the continents were put back together. Wegener called this one continent world Pangaea.. Although Wegener offered the most credible evidence of continental drift to date, only a few others were confident in his theory. Most geologists ridiculed him for his ideas. The major flaw with Wegener’s theory was that he could not explain how the continents moved. His idea was that the continents...
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...as to why these events happen. In addition, I will also talk about the new inquiries concerning earthquakes and what leads up to these questions that may still be unanswered. II. General Overview To understand how earthquakes form, what causes them, and the components that make it up, one must know exactly what an earthquake is. Webster’s Dictionary states that an earthquake is the “shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin.” While this describes the movement and the cause, it doesn’t describe why. Earthquakes happen when the underground rock immediately burst against the fault. This activity causes seismic waves that travel along the earth’s crust to vibrate. When this occurs, it is because the plates are being stretched or squeezed and the movement of the magma is building up pressure. After intense pressure, eventually it will move outside of the crust and continue in a motion outward an upward. The cause of earthquakes falls into two categories. The first is the tectonic plate. In this category, the crust and upper mantle...
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...GLG 101 - Week 6 Assignment: Metamorphic Rocks Lab PART 2/2 (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resources: pp. 108–116 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendixes K & L Identify and classify the rock examples in Appendix K. Answer the Appendix L questions from your lab book. Write your responses in Appendix K. Complete All of Appendix K & L. Post completed Appendix K & L in the individual forum. Due day 7. ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment Deserts Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resources: pp. 265–276 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix M Answer the Appendix M questions from your lab book. Write your responses in Appendix M. Complete ALL of Appendix M. Post completed Appendix M to the individual forum. Due day 7. ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment: Earthquake Technology Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resources: pp. 156–170 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix F Answer the questions listed in Appendix F from the lab book. Write your responses in Appendix F. Complete ALL of Appendix F. Post the completed Appendix F in the individual forum. Due day 7. ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment Groundwater Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resource: pp. 213–227 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix N. Answer the Appendix N questions from...
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...Continental Drift, the theory that continents move slowly about the earth's surface, changing their positions relative to one another and to the poles of the earth. In the past the theory has been discussed but not generally accepted, most geologists believing the continents to be fixed in place and subject only to vertical movements, such as those observed during mountain uplift. In recent years, however, a sound body of evidence in support of a modified form of the drift theory has been found. Ideas are becoming precise and unified, with emphasis on a moving, evolving ocean floor. The new theory is called plate tectonics. Early Theories Soon after the Atlantic Ocean had been mapped, about three hundred years ago, it was noticed that the opposite coasts had similar shapes, but it was not until the middle of the 19th century that accurate maps were published demonstrating that the two coasts could be fitted together quite closely. Some geologists then suggested that the fit of the coasts was not an accident--that the continents were once joined and had subsequently drifted apart. None of the suggestions were taken seriously. In 1912, however, the German meteorologist Alfred Wegener investigated the fit of the Atlantic coasts more carefully than had his predecessors and grouped all the continents together into one great land mass, which he called Pangaea. He supposed that the mass began to break apart about 200 million years ago. He also showed that some geological features...
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...located offshore, the seabed sometimes suffers sufficient displacement to cause a tsunami. The shaking in earthquakes can also trigger landslides and occasionally volcanic activity. In its most generic sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event — whether a natural phenomenon or an event caused by humans — that generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus orhypocenter. The term epicenter refers to the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter. [pic] [pic] Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998 [pic] [pic] Global plate tectonic movement |Contents | | [hide] | |1 Naturally occurring earthquakes | |1.1...
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...write about for my short report paper is Earthquakes. I chose earthquakes because I am fascinated by them, and would like to learn as much information as I can about them. I have found out that these are phenomenons of nature and I am going to enlighten you on what the causes are behind them, the tools we use to track them, and some of the worst ones that have ever happened in history. The following paragraphs will be a complete review of all of the information I have found. I hope you enjoy my paper and let’s get started. First off let’s ask ourselves do we really know what an earthquake is? Not many people do but they have heard of them before, and know that they can be catastrophic. “An earthquake is a sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by pieces of the crust that violently shift.”( ) Now let’s ask ourselves do we know what causes an earthquake? I have found that what causes an earthquake to form is that when the pieces of our earths four major layers move around they bump into each other, and we call these pieces tectonic plates. The edges of these plates which we call boundaries are made up of faults, these faults are most of the earthquakes in the world today occur. Since the edges of the plates are rough they get stuck together while all the other plates are moving. And then finally when the plates have moved to far from these edges that is when an earthquake will occur. () So how does this movement of these plates shack the earth? “While the edges...
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...System by James Wood and Alex Guth - Michigan Technological University Part I. The East African Rift System The East African Rift System (EARS) is one the geologic wonders of the world, a place where the earth's tectonic forces are presently trying to create new plates by splitting apart old ones. In simple terms, a rift can be thought of as a fracture in the earth's surface that widens over time, or more technically, as an elongate basin bounded by opposed steeply dipping normal faults. Geologists are still debating exactly how rifting comes about, but the process is so well displayed in East Africa (Ethiopia-Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania) that geologists have attached a name to the new plate-to-be; the Nubian Plate makes up most of Africa, while the smaller plate that is pulling away has been named the Somalian Plate (Figure 1). These two plates are moving away form each other and also away from the Arabian plate to the north. The point where these three plates meet in the Afar region of Ethiopia forms what is called a triple-junction. However, all the rifting in East Africa is not confined to the Horn of Africa; there is a lot of rifting activity further south as well, extending into Kenya and Tanzania and Great Lakes region of Africa. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the general geology of these rifts are and highlight the geologic processes involved in their formation. What is the East Africa Rift System? The oldest and best defined rift occurs in the Afar region...
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...Shake and Erupt: A critical reflection on teaching earthquakes and volcanoes to KS3 Rationale: Perhaps the most dynamic features of the Earth’s awesome power and nature are when Volcanoes and Earthquakes occur. Their workings are at the very core of our planet’s history and their unpredictable activity continues to shake mankind’s understanding of the planet. This topic or scheme of work for my mixed ability year nine class offers a plethora of attributes that both incorporates sound core Geographic knowledge and divers teaching formats that can present a degree of awe and wonder into the minds of young people. Planning and teaching such a topic at a time when the Geography National Curriculum is being reviewed by the new coalition Government, seems to provide somewhat of a blank canvass as to what pedagogical approaches might be the most appropriate to adopt. Whatever the NC will look like, we are led to believe that there will be a re-focus on the ‘core’ knowledge in subjects like Geography. This is not to say a return to didactic teaching where teachers are merely transmitters of information, or indeed to adopt a textbook pedagogy which is reminiscent of the late 1970s and 1980s. The Geography Curriculum Consultation Full Report makes it clear “That a line-by-line, detailed list of geography’s contents is not the best way to draw a positive response from teachers . . . though there is strong support for the national curriculum achieving greater clarity over the core...
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...Unit 1: Understanding Our Natural World Theme A: The Dynamic Landscape Specification: GCSE Geography Unit 1: Understanding Our Natural World Theme A: The Dynamic Landscape |Specification Content |Learning Outcomes |Teaching and Learning Activities |Resources | |The Drainage Basin: A |Students should be able to: | | | |Component of the Water Cycle | | | | | |demonstrate knowledge and understanding of|The two websites listed here give clear animations of the hydrological cycle |www.epa.gov/ogwdw/kids/flash/ flashwatercycle.html | | |the components of the drainage basin cycle|which students can watch and discuss. |www.sweetwater.org/education/ watercycle.swf | | |and their interrelationships: | | ...
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...northern California and symbolizes the dynamic geologic processes that have shaped a spectacular landscape. 63829_02_insidecover.qxd 11/25/08 12:53 AM Page ii ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK Northern California.1 Introduction Ⅲ What are northern California’s physiographic provinces? Ⅲ What is the Farallon subduction zone? al Ⅲ What two types of plate boundaries exist in northern California today? th Ⅲ What are terranes, how do they originate, and why are they important in northern California? Northern California.2 The Sierra Nevada: California’s Geologic alifornia’s Ge Backbone Ⅲ What is the Sierra Nevada batholith? rra batholi Ⅲ What kinds of rocks surround the Sierra Nevada batholith? ra Ⅲ When and how was the modern Sierra Nevada uplifted? e Ⅲ What types of gold deposits occur in the Sierra Nevada? e? Ⅲ What is the Mother Lode? Northern California.3 The Klamath M Mountains t ath an Ne evada Ⅲ In what ways are the Klamath Mountains and the Sierra Nevada similar? ds ro o ath M Ⅲ What kinds of rocks comprise the ophiolites in the Klamath Mountains and what tectonic events do they signify? ineral occu th ntai Ⅲ What mineral resources occur in the Klamath Mountains? Northern California.4 The Gr Ca rnia e Great Valley fa s th i he Valle Ⅲ What factors have led to the formation of fertile soils in the Great Valley? at t ime y Grea Seq Ⅲ What was the origin of the sedimentary rocks in the Great Valley Sequence...
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...INTRODUCTION Although scientific recognition of the earthquake hazard presented by the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ) is relatively recent, the Native American’s have lived on the Cascadia coast for thousands of years, handing down knowledge through millennial storytelling. This paper reflects evidence on coastal earthquakes and is presented in Native traditions and estimates the dates of the most recent seismic events from their culture. The primary plate- boundary fault of the CSZ separates the oceanic Juan de Fuca Plate from the continental North America Plate, partaking with the San Andreas Fault Plate. It lies about 80 km offshore and encompasses roughly parallel to the coast from the middle of Vancouver Island to northern...
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