24 Questions
What type of fault is the Philippine Fault an example of?
Strike-Slip Fault
What happens to a material when it reaches its yield point?
Elastic deformation is surpassed and strain becomes permanent
What is the process called when rocks/minerals change into another mineral as a response to heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids?
Metamorphism
What is the gradual movement of the continents over time called?
Continental Drift
What is the term for the upper layer of the crust being broken down into plates?
Lithosphere
What causes the movement of the plates in Plate Tectonics?
The movement of the molten rock beneath the plates
What is the result of a material undergoing ductile deformation?
It changes shape and cannot return to its original shape
What is the name of the German meteorologist who developed the Continental Drift Theory?
Alfred Wegener
What is the name of the supergiant land mass that Wegener theorized was once interconnected?
Pangaea
What is the process of fragmentation and drifting that continued until the continents eventually reached their current position?
Continental drift
What is the cause of foliation in metamorphic rocks?
Repetitive layering of sheet-like minerals
What are the two giant continents that were formed initially after Pangaea began to separate?
Laurasia and Gondwanaland
What is the characteristic of foliated metamorphic rocks?
They show a layered or banded appearance
What is the name of the process by which the continents are always moving and overlapping?
Plate tectonics
What are the four common types of foliated metamorphic rocks?
Slate, Phyllite, Schists, and Gneiss
How long ago did Pangaea begin to separate?
Between 275 and 175 million years ago
What is the reason for the formation of light and dark layers alternating with each other in gneiss?
Segregation of light-colored minerals from dark ones
Which type of metamorphism does not show foliation?
Contact metamorphism
What is the name of the body of water proposed by Eduard Suess?
Tethys Sea
What is the reason why Wegener's theory was not widely accepted by the scientific community?
It did not offer an acceptable hypothesis explaining the movement of the continents
What is an example of a non-foliated metamorphic rock?
Marble
What is the result of regional metamorphism on a large scale?
Development of foliation or layered texture
Who is the scientist who proposed the existence of Gondwanaland?
Eduard Suess
What is the term for the process by which rocks are changed by heat and pressure?
Metamorphism
Study Notes
Continental Drift Theory
- Alfred Wegener's theory propose that all continents were once interconnected from a supergiant land mass, called Pangaea.
- Pangaea broke apart and each land mass drifted away from each other in different locations between 275 and 175 million years ago.
Formation of Giant Continents
- Two giant continents were formed: Laurasia (northern continents) and Gondwanaland (southern hemisphere continents).
- The slow process of fragmentation and drifting continued until the continents eventually reached their current position.
Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
- Foliation is caused by repetitive layering of sheet silicates, such as clay minerals, mica, and chlorite.
- Common foliated metamorphic rocks are slate, phyllite, schists, and gneiss.
- Gneiss has a striking foliation, with light-colored minerals segregating from dark ones, forming light and dark layers.
Non-Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
- Examples of non-foliated metamorphic rocks are marble and quartzite.
- They do not exhibit foliation because they are made of minerals that are neither platy nor elongated.
Types of Metamorphism
- Contact metamorphism occurs when an intrusion of hot, molten magma changes the rock when it comes in contact.
- Regional metamorphism occurs when large scale movements of Earth's crust cause a vast region of rock to sink into the Earth, experiencing increased heat and pressure.
Deformation
- Ductile deformation occurs when enough stress is applied to the material, causing changes in shape and no longer being able to return to its original shape.
- Yield point is the point at which elastic deformation is surpassed and strain becomes permanent.
- Brittle deformation occurs when materials respond to stress by breaking and fracturing.
Plate Tectonics
- In 1912, Alfred Wegener developed the Continental Drift Theory, explaining how continents shift position on Earth's surface.
- The upper layer of the crust is broken down into plates, which sit on a molten rock.
- The movement of this lower molten layer causes the plates to shift.
Learn about Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift, proposing that all continents were once connected in a supercontinent called Pangaea. Discover how Pangaea broke apart and formed Laurasia and Gondwanaland.
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