...Describe the type of tectonic and seismic activity which occurs at each plate boundary (25 mark) In the theory of plate tectonics, the earth's crust is broken into plates that move around relative to each other. As a result of this movement, three types of plate boundaries are formed: Divergent, Convergent- Oceanic/Continental & Continental/Continental, and Transform boundaries. Not all plate boundaries fit into the main groups shown above. In some parts of the world the boundaries are not easily defined because the deformation caused by the plates covers a wide area rather than having clearly defined plate edges. This deformation is called a plate-boundary zone. The smaller fragments of plates are called microplates. The destruction of the earth’s crust occurs along plate boundaries, where plates are moving towards each other and the creation of the crust occurs where plates are moving away from each other. A divergent plate boundary, also knows as an constructive or extensional boundary) is a tectonic boundary where two plates are moving away from one another forming new crust as magma rises from the earth’s surface between the two plates. The boundaries are found along spreading centres -The Mid-Atlantic ridge being an example of a ‘textbook’ slow spreading centre and in contrast the East Pacific Rise is an example of a fast spreading ridge. Divergent boundaries can be Continental or Oceanic. When a divergent boundary occurs underneath ocean lithosphere, the rising...
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...Seismic and volcanic events are major pieces of evidence towards proving that plate tectonic theory is valid. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this view. (40) Plate tectonics is the theory that explains the structure and motion of the Earth’s lithosphere. The theory states that the Earth’s crust is split into large sections called tectonic plates, and these move relative to one another creating boundaries at which plates converge, diverge and move past each other. Alfred Wegener pioneered the theory of continental drift in the early 1900s which he supported with multiple pieces of evidence. Perhaps the earliest indicator of the theory was the apparent fit of some of the Earth’s continents; analysis of these coastlines, notably the eastern edge of South America and the western edge of Africa, has shown that they are very similar geologically suggesting that at some point in the Earth’s history the landmasses were joined together. Another indicator that the continents were once distributed differently was geological evidence of glaciation in India – it is unlikely that glaciers could ever reach such low latitudes, but this problem can easily be explained by continental drift. Fossil distribution also provided some of the earliest evidence for plate tectonics – certain land-dwelling fossil species have been found in areas that are now separated by ocean which indicates that those areas were at some point joined together. However at the time of Wegner’s work many of the...
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...Evolution and Theory of Plate Tectonics The most important and vital development of plate tectonic theory and evolution appeared to be among the most crucial scientific achievements in the 20th century. The theory concept offers a relevant structure towards the knowledge of all natural Earth attributes. It additionally provides one particular framework with regard to the knowledge of both planet's origin and outlook. Notably, the evolution of life on the planet remains significantly impacted by plate tectonic processes. This may involve the historic, societal, and cultural advancement of humanity. In other words, plate tectonic theory is an encompassing conjecture regarding different scientific theories that demonstrate the naturally occurring Earth characteristics have actually formed the historical past from the solid Earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and all life organisms. Many scientific theories are so well established that no new evidence is likely to alter them substantially. For example, no new evidence will demonstrate that the Earth does not orbit around the sun (heliocentric theory), or that living things are not made of cells (cell theory), that matter is not composed of atoms, or that the surface of the Earth is not divided into solid plates that have moved over geological timescales (the theory of plate tectonics). Like these other foundational scientific theories, the theory of evolution is supported by so many observations and confirming experiments...
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...Due date: ___________________ Name ___________________________________________ Plate Tectonics Exercise (20 points) PLATE BOUNDARIES There are three different types of lithosphere plate boundaries associated with different types of topographic features and tectonic activity. These are: Divergent boundaries (also called “spreading centers). At divergent boundaries, plates are moving apart. The most common kind of spreading center is the midocean ridge where new ocean floor is created. Spreading may also take place within a continent. In this case, blocks of crust may drop down as the land is pulled apart, creating a rift valley. Convergent boundaries These boundaries involve collision of lithosphere plates, which may occur in three different circumstances. 1. Oceanic – continental plate convergence. If the edge of an oceanic plate collides with the edge of a continental plate a subduction zone is formed. The denser oceanic plate subducts (plunges) beneath the continent, producing a deep oceanic trench. As the oceanic lithosphere descends, partial melting of the rock along the contact zone occurs. The magma that is produced rises toward the surface and produces a chain of volcanic mountains on the land mass parallel to the collision boundary, such as the Andes in South America. 2. Oceanic – oceanic plate convergence. In this case, subduction also takes place. A deep ocean trench forms along with a chain of volcanic islands. An example of such an island arc is the Aleutian...
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...Evaluate how plate tectonics theory helps our understanding of the distribution of seismic and volcanic events. Plate tectonics is a relatively new science. It’s partially explained in the sense that we still don’t know fully about how the plates came together, what they were before they were the seven continents we know today. We already know, or have a theory, about what our world was like a long time ago and so if we already know that the plates can pull and push against each other, then surely there must have been a different set up to the one we have now. There is a theory that we were once a supercontinent called Pangaea that began to break up around 200 million years ago. Using plate tectonics, we can explain, predict and see which type of seismic and volcanic events are related to plate tectonics, using more theories like Pangaea to explain them. Covering our earth’s surface there are seven major plates. These plates cover the inside structure of our earth, which consists of our inner core, our outer core, the mantle and then the crust which is what the plates are made out of. Plate tectonics is the theory of these plates moving along the earth’s lithosphere. The lithosphere is in the upper mantle and the lower crust and is responsible for continental drift. This is also because of the convection current running underneath and pulling and pushing the plates apart and together, causing them to converge and destruct. There are two types of plates, oceanic and continental...
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...January 2011 Plate Tectonics and Associated Hazards (25 marks) a) The Philippines are located on the Philippine plate which is largely involved in the tectonic activity of the Pacific Ring of fire where you can find volcanoes and earthquakes which are two primary tectonic hazards, this is due to its location and the fact that numerous trenches are a strong piece of evidence to the presence of the sub-duction of tectonic plates. This makes me think that there is a strong degree to which this area of the Philippines is subject to tectonic hazards. Another piece of evidence supporting a strong chance of tectonic activity is the sheer volume of active faults on the islands compared to the actual land area of the countries, these are were the land has sustained damage over the years of plate movement and the rocks beneath are trapped against each other and creating tension that can be released to create an earthquake of a strong magnitude. Also visible from the image is the location of 5 volcanoes nad if these were to become active most of the countries in the Philippines would be in serious danger from tectonic hazards both primary and secondary like volcanic bombs or lahars. b) Hot spots are points where convection plumes are focusing on a single point beneath the crust as hot magma rises from the super-heated mesosphere into the asthenosphere where it cools and then proceeds to sink back down again. As this magma rises it carries radioactive elements with it and these...
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...The Creation Of The Floor Karina Decubas SCI/209 Nov 2,2015 Shannon Shoemaker The Creation Of The Ocean Floor Oceanography is the branch of science that studies the ocean and vast amount of topics. I learned the importance of this branch among science. Science has answered many questions and created many theories that goes beyond this science in specific but help to answer more question in other branch of science. Two very important theories are the Continental Drift and the plate tectonics. These theories try to solve the question about the actual position of the continents and how they got there. There are so many terms and information to learn in order to understand these two theories for example plate boundaries, Fault, oceanic floor, volcanoes and more. Plate Boundaries A Plate Boundaries is the location where two plates meet. There are three different plate boundaries. The Divergent plate boundaries are where new crust is generated as the plates pull away from each other. The Divergent plate boundaries occurs along spreading centers where plates are moving apart and the new crust is created by magma pushing up from mantle. A good example is the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The rate of spreading along the Mid-Atlantic ridge averages 2.5 centimeters per year. Convergent Boundaries is where the crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another. The Size of the earth has not change significantly during the past 600 millions years. The...
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...Wegener's theory Continental drift-In 1915, the German geologist and meteorologist Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift, which states that parts of the Earth's crust slowly drift atop a liquid core. The fossil record supports and gives credence to the theories of continental drift and plate tectonics. Pangea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It formed approximately 300 million years ago and then began to break apart after about 100 million years. Unlike the present Earth, much of the land mass was in the Southern Hemisphere. Pangea was fully assembled by the Early Permian Period, some 270 million years ago. It began to break apart about 200 million years ago, during the Early Jurassic Period, eventually forming the modern continents and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.The giant ocean that surrounded the continent is known as Panthalassa. The movement of Earth's tectonic plates formed Pangaea and ultimately broke it apart. Pangaea existed during the Permian and Triassic geological time periods, which were times of great change. This therefore shows that a certain extent of tectonic activity took place 200 million years ago to form our world that we know today. The idea of Pangea fitting together in a jigsaw fashion compared to how convection currents dictate the movement of the plate boundaries it can be seen as tangible that these pieces were to fit together very easily, however certain processes of...
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...America and western Africa looked like a jigsaw puzzle with interlocking pieces. Both continents had some of the same biological and geological similarities. The fossil of the ancient reptile mesosaurus was only found in South America and southern Africa. The mesosaurus is a freshwater reptile roughly one meter long and couldn’t have swum in the ocean due to it being a freshwater reptile. Wegener also believed that all the continents were once joined in a super continent also known as Pangaea meaning all lands in Greek. Many scientists didn’t believe Wegener’s theory of the continental drift back then. Today’s scientists know now that continents sit on massive slabs called tectonic plates. Tectonic plates are constantly interacting and moving called plate tectonics. After a period of time the tectonic activity changes the surface of the earth and reshapes and rearranging the landmasses. The scientific method attempts to explain the phenomena of the universe using a consistent, logical, systematic method of investigation, using data collection, hypothesis, experiment, and a theory. Establishing a new theory must be introduced to the scientific community, be well written, documented and submitted to a scientific journal for publication. Qualative science generates a hypothesis, focuses on studying ideas, and captures rich, contextual, and detailed information from a small number of participants. Qualative science is generally inductive and answers why and what does it mean questions...
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...1 Land Feature Paper Sharon Green GLG/150 Rosemary Morrison December 21, 2015 2 The Theory of Plate Tectonics Plate tectonics is the theory that the outer rigid layer of the earth the (lithosphere) is divided into a couple of dozen "plates" that move around across the earth's surface relative to each other. The reason they are able to move is that the molten interior of the earth slowly rises toward the surface. As this hot viscous substance rises it moves the plates like pieces of a puzzle across the globe. Much like an escalator today the heated almost plastic like rock rises to the top then sinks back below to become super-heated again. These areas are known as subduction zones and are extremely geologically active. Good! Factors That Influence Earthquakes and Volcanos in the Region New England is not normally thought of as a highly geologically active area. There are no current or dormant volcanoes nor is there an active plate. However the same forces that have shaped some of the most active places on earth today also worked millions of years ago here in New England. In order to understand this region and why there are earthquakes where there is no continental plate we have to look back a few million years. I love that you choose this area The Main Movement The gentle mountains and rolling hills predominate in the New England area are not the dynamic active landscapes of Yellowstone; however Weston Observatory at Boston College explains how...
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...UTC, 2:45 PM Hypocenter Depth: 10.1km Plate tectonic setting: San Andreas fault, the fault is a transform fault. Maps & effects: Effect: Shaking felt in La Paz, however damage done was light. Sources: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000cw0l#summary Volcano 1 Location: Kapaa, United States, 19°25'16" N 155°17'13" W Type of volcano: Shield volcano, the magma composition is basalt. Date-Time: October 1, 2012 7:24 AM, 17:24 UTC Elevation: 1247 m Plate tectonic setting: Kilauea is 1000+ miles from any plate boundaries Description of eruption: The lava lake level remained stable, started to drop slowly after 6 pm, and started to rise about 2:30 am - before the start of DI inflation. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 1,200 tonnes/day on September 28, 2012; this value is rather high but not out of the range of values measured at the summit over the past several months. Very small amounts of ash-sized tephra (spatter bits and Pele's hair) were carried out of the vent in the gas plume and deposited on nearby surfaces. Seismic activity was low Sources: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php, http://sparkcharts.sparknotes.com/gensci/geology_earthsci/section7.php Earthquake 2 Location: 51.634°N 178.293°W, near 18mi SSW of Tanaga Volcano, Alaska Magnitude: 6.4 Date-time: 2012-09-26 23:39:54 UTC, 2:39 PM Hypocenter Depth: depth=9.9km Plate tectonic setting: Convergent Effect: strong shaking...
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...typically events which occur as a direct result of a volcano, where debris and molten rock are both extruded and intruded during an eruption. The plate tectonic theory was developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912, however initially his theory of how the plates all ‘fit together’ was ignored as there was simply not enough evidence. After technology had significantly advanced later in the 20th Century, the theory was developed further by several scientists. This theory suggests that the crust is split into a number of plates, all of which float on molten mantle rock and are constantly moving on the Earth’s surface. We are also now aware that there are two types of plate, oceanic and continental and it is the movement of these two plates that can cause both volcanic and seismic events. However these events are not the only pieces of evidence that prove the plate tectonic theory is valid; there are many other factors which include sea-floor spreading and fossil distribution. Pyroclastic materials and molten magma escape the mantle and emerge above the Earth’s crust through volcanos. All of Earth’s active volcanos are distributed in clusters around the pacific ocean, southern Europe, the east coast of Africa and through the Atlantic Ocean. These specific locations are all as a result of the nearby constructive and destructive tectonic plate boundaries, this is known as ‘The Ring of Fire’. It is named so because of the large concentration of a large, ring like formation of volcanos around...
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...Lesson 1 Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics Time Frame: Two to three periods I. Objectives At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: 1. discuss the tectonic activities that happen at plate boundaries; 2. discuss some consequences of having the Philippines in a tectonically active zone; 3. explain why the Philippines experiences many earthquakes; and 4. explain why the Philippines has many volcanoes. II. Subject Matter A. Topic: Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics B: References: Earth Science: Philippines in Focus, pp. 34-36 C. Materials: Map, Pictures III. Learning Tasks/Procedure A. Motivation/Recall 1. Show the completed jigsaw puzzle in Lesson 21 and guide students to state in their own words what they learned about the Plate Tectonics Theory. 2. Using the map or globe used in the previous activity, have students mark the boundaries of the Philippine plate and locate where the islands of the Philippines are. B. Activity Proper 1. Let them do Activity 22.1 in small groups. 2. Let them brainstorm the answers to the questions. a. Class Discussion 1. Have the students present their maps. Follow this up with a discussion of their answers to the Questions. The students should be able to see that earthquake occurrences are more frequent along convergent than on divergent boundaries. They should realize that plate boundaries were determined though the frequencies of the occurrence of earthquakes. ...
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...Plate Tectonics Melissa Schroeder Columbia College For millions of years, tectonic plates have been determinate of changes in the physical face of the earth, and they continue to do so today. These massive plates move underneath the surfaces of the oceans and the continents, producing earthquakes, volcanoes and uplifts. This paper will discuss the composition, movement and history of tectonic plates, the theory of plate tectonics and its history, and tectonic plates affect the surface of the earth today and will continue to do so in the future. The earth is divided into three main layers: the core, the mantle and the crust. The core is further divided into the solid inner core and the liquid outer core. This layer is mostly iron and nickel and is extremely hot. The mantle is divided into the lower and upper mantle and is composed mostly of iron, magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. The outermost layer, which contains all life on earth, is the crust. This layer is rich in oxygen and silicon as well as aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium. It is in between the crust and the mantle that we find tectonic plates. The outermost layers of the earth are divided into two categories based on their physical properties. The asthenosphere is the lower of these categories, composed of clastic or flowing mantle. The upper layer is known as the lithosphere and contains both the top, rigid layer of the mantle and the crust. The lithosphere is what makes up the tectonic plates...
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...Taiwan---Taiwan Is Alive How does it feel like to live on a floating plate, unaware of probable earthquakes and tectonic movements? I understood how it feels like because I live in Taiwan! After an introduction to the geology of Taiwan, I found Taiwan a really active and dynamic island. This reminded me of an article I read on New York Times years ago; it titled: Taiwan Moves Closer to Mainland, Pulled by Forces That Molded Its Mountains. In the article, there were a research team built by three groups of geologists from three countries—Taiwan, United States of America and Japan. In order to learn the process of mountain building on Taiwan islands, they used seismic monitoring device and computer graphing to track the movement of tectonic plates. Such research found one of the facts that Taiwan is actually moving closer to Mainland China! Not to mention that Taiwan is growing taller and taller where our mountains has been rising above sea levels since 60 million years ago. I cannot help but wonder if Taiwan Island would join the Eurasia millions years after! Despite my fantasy of walking across Taiwan Strait to Eurasia many years after, it is amazing to learn that there are actually “underground” forces pushing and pulling Taiwan islands by millimeters every second. The most apparent connection between these forces and our lives on the island is earthquakes and volcanic activity. First, through my life until now, I have experienced at least thousand times of felt and unfelt earthquakes...
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