Paleomagnetism and Plate Tectonics Quiz

Paleomagnetism is the record of the strength and direction of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks. It supports plate tectonics theory by providing evidence of seafloor spreading and continental drift through the analysis of magnetic patterns in rocks.

Paleomagnetism is the record of the strength and direction of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks. It is also the term for the study of the Earth's past by examining these records.

Certain rocks and minerals are susceptible to the Earth's magnetic field and will align with it during their formation. This alignment remains in the rocks after formation and is called remnant magnetism, which can be used to study the changes in the Earth's magnetic field over time.

<p>Paleomagnetism is the study of ancient magnetic fields.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>One piece of evidence in support of the theory of plate tectonics is the alternating magnetic stripes found on the ocean floor surrounding oceanic ridges.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Hot spots are fixed locations where magma wells up from deep within the earth's mantle to form a volcano. They prove that tectonic plates move because they leave behind a chain of extinct volcanoes that show up in a line.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Continental drift is the theory that at one time all of the continents were joined and then slowly drifted apart. It was proposed by German meteorologist Alfred Wegener.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Plate tectonics is the theory that the earth's crust is broken up into plates that float on top of a hotter and more fluid layer below. It relates to continental drift because if the plates move, they can carry the continents away from each other as proposed by Wegener.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Paleomagnetism is the study of the earth's past magnetic field. It provides evidence for plate tectonics because the magnetic stripes found on the ocean floor surrounding oceanic ridges indicate that the plates are pulling apart, allowing magma to rise up and harden into new rock.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The alternating polarity of stripes on the ocean floor near the oceanic ridges is caused by the movement of tectonic plates, where new rock is formed and pushes older rock away as the magnetic field reverses over millions of years.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Hot spots are related to plate tectonics because they occur within tectonic plates and demonstrate that a plate travels over a stationary hot spot, leaving behind a chain of extinct volcanoes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Magma rises up from deep within the earth's mantle and hardens into new rock near the oceanic ridges, pushing older rock away and creating magnetic striping.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Hawaiian Islands are an example of a location that demonstrates the interaction between a tectonic plate and a hot spot.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The variation in magnetic striping on the ocean floor and the presence of hot spots are types of evidence that support the theory of plate tectonics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Paleomagnetism is the study of the Earth's magnetic field as recorded in rocks. By analyzing the magnetism preserved in rocks, scientists can determine the past positions of the Earth's magnetic poles. This information has been crucial in supporting the theory of plate tectonics, as it provides evidence for the movement of tectonic plates over time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift, which hypothesized that all of the continents were once joined together in a supercontinent called Pangea and have since drifted apart. Initially, Wegener's theory was met with skepticism and ridicule from the scientific community. It took several decades for his ideas to gain acceptance, as new evidence supporting continental drift and the related theory of plate tectonics emerged.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Paleomagnetism provides evidence for plate motion by studying the remnant magnetism preserved in rocks. By analyzing the alignment of magnetic poles in rocks of different ages, scientists can infer the movement of tectonic plates. If rocks from the same area with different ages have different magnetic alignments, it suggests that either the magnetic pole or the rocks themselves have moved, supporting the idea of plate motion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Paleomagnetism is the study of ancient geomagnetic records preserved by rocks and minerals. It is used to support the theory of plate tectonics through two ways: apparent polar wander and magnetic reversal bands recorded in oceanic crust. Apparent polar wander shows that rocks of different ages but the same location pointed to different magnetic poles, indicating movement of the continents. Magnetic reversal bands recorded in oceanic crust provide evidence for seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges, showing that the crust on both sides of the ridge was created at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Hot spots are areas on the Earth's surface that are located over mantle plumes, which are areas of the mantle where the molten rock, or magma, is hotter than the surrounding material. Hot spots support the theory of plate tectonics by creating a chain of volcanoes on the surface as the plate moves over the stationary mantle plume. This chain of volcanoes, such as the Hawai'ian Islands, provides evidence for the motion of the overriding plate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The symmetric magnetic bands observed on each side of mid-ocean ridges indicate that they were created at the same time. This provides evidence for seafloor spreading, a mechanism by which plates move in plate tectonics. The magnetic data shows that the oceanic crust on both sides of the ridge is the same age and exhibits the same polarity, indicating they were formed in the same location at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers