Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which evidence supports the idea that continents were once part of the supercontinent Pangea?
Which evidence supports the idea that continents were once part of the supercontinent Pangea?
- The similarity of languages spoken across separate continents.
- The size of continents compared to ocean basins.
- The distribution of modern-day fossils in isolated locations.
- Geological features such as mountain ranges aligning. (correct)
What do marker fossils indicate regarding continental drift?
What do marker fossils indicate regarding continental drift?
- They suggest that continents were previously connected. (correct)
- They provide evidence of climate zones in the current location.
- They show that certain species existed on every continent.
- They indicate variations in species adaptations over time.
What is a significant paleoclimate indicator that suggests continental drift?
What is a significant paleoclimate indicator that suggests continental drift?
- Location of mountain ranges aligned with equatorial regions.
- Fossilized corals found only in temperate climate zones.
- The presence of tropical plants in Arctic regions. (correct)
- Similar rock formations found at great ocean depths.
Which phenomenon is NOT associated with the evidence for seafloor spreading?
Which phenomenon is NOT associated with the evidence for seafloor spreading?
Which type of geological evidence bolsters the theory of plate tectonics?
Which type of geological evidence bolsters the theory of plate tectonics?
What do warm colors indicate in the context of ocean floor topography?
What do warm colors indicate in the context of ocean floor topography?
Which type of plate boundary is responsible for the formation of oceanic crust?
Which type of plate boundary is responsible for the formation of oceanic crust?
What geological formation is expected at an oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary?
What geological formation is expected at an oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary?
Which process is involved in the formation of mountains at convergent plate boundaries?
Which process is involved in the formation of mountains at convergent plate boundaries?
What is the outcome of tectonic activity at a continental-continental convergent boundary?
What is the outcome of tectonic activity at a continental-continental convergent boundary?
Flashcards
Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics
The theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that move and interact.
Divergent Boundary
Divergent Boundary
A plate boundary where plates move apart, creating new crust.
Convergent Boundary
Convergent Boundary
A plate boundary where plates collide, leading to mountain ranges or trenches.
Subduction Zone
Subduction Zone
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Transform Boundary
Transform Boundary
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Continental Drift Theory
Continental Drift Theory
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Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Shape)
Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Shape)
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Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Fossils)
Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Fossils)
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Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Rock Types)
Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Rock Types)
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Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Paleoclimate)
Evidence for Plate Tectonics (Paleoclimate)
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Study Notes
Continental Drift Theory
- Introduced by Alfred Lothar Wegener in 1912
- Proposed that all continents once formed a single supercontinent called Pangea
- Evidence included the apparent fit of continents, fossil correlation among continents, rock and mountain correlation between continents, and paleoclimate data and glacial deposits.
Evidence for Plate Tectonics
- Continents fit together like puzzle pieces, especially South America and Africa
- Similar fossils, rock types, and mountain ranges on separate continents
- Similar paleoclimate indicators support continental drift
- Geological features, such as mountain ranges, rock formations with the same ages, and rock characteristics of continents, form contiguous bodies when continents are fitted together.
Seafloor Spreading Theory
- New oceanic lithosphere is created as older materials are pushed away.
- Seafloor spreading occurs at mid-ocean ridges.
- Older oceanic crust is destroyed at deep-sea trenches
- This process is supported by paleomagnetism, heat flow, and age of seafloor.
Paleomagnetism
- Scientists noticed an alternating pattern of normal and reverse polarity in oceanic rocks.
- This supports seafloor spreading.
- Minerals within igneous rocks indicate the polarity of Earth's magnetic field at the time the rock formed.
Plate Boundaries
- Divergent boundaries—plates move apart
- Convergent boundaries—plates collide
- Transform boundaries—plates slide past each other
- Transform boundaries, visible deformations, along transform are faults and folds. In tectonic maps, arrows are drawn along the faults to show direction of the slide
- These boundaries cause volcanic activity, earthquakes, and mountain ranges, as well as the formation of trenches, and valleys
Types of Plate Boundaries
- Oceanic-continental convergence
- Ocean-ocean convergence
- Continental-continental convergence
Mountain Building and Orogeny
- The growth of mountains
- Occurs when two continental plates collide
- The plates bunch up
- Example: Himalayas
Important Ocean Floor Features
- Mid-ocean ridges
- Deep-ocean trenches
- Seamount chains
- Fracture zones
Forces Acting on Rocks
- Compression
- Tension
- Shear
Formations of Earth's Crust
- Folding
- Faulting
- Mountain Building
- Valleys
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