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Questions and Answers
What type of fault involves horizontal movement of tectonic plates?
What type of fault involves horizontal movement of tectonic plates?
Which type of fold has limbs that dip inward toward the hinge?
Which type of fold has limbs that dip inward toward the hinge?
What characterizes an anticline fold?
What characterizes an anticline fold?
What happens to rocks in a monocline?
What happens to rocks in a monocline?
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Transform faults are associated with which type of motion?
Transform faults are associated with which type of motion?
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Who is considered the originator of the theory of continental drift?
Who is considered the originator of the theory of continental drift?
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What were the two major parts of Pangaea?
What were the two major parts of Pangaea?
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Which of the following is NOT a piece of evidence for continental drift?
Which of the following is NOT a piece of evidence for continental drift?
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Which feature exists when two tectonic plates move away from each other?
Which feature exists when two tectonic plates move away from each other?
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What is the lithosphere made up of?
What is the lithosphere made up of?
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What evidence supports the theory of plate tectonics related to Africa and South America?
What evidence supports the theory of plate tectonics related to Africa and South America?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of a transform boundary?
Which of the following is a characteristic of a transform boundary?
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Which of the following is a deep depression in the ocean floor?
Which of the following is a deep depression in the ocean floor?
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What process occurs when an oceanic plate descends beneath another plate?
What process occurs when an oceanic plate descends beneath another plate?
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Which of the following is a driving force that affects tectonic plate motion?
Which of the following is a driving force that affects tectonic plate motion?
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What type of fault occurs due to horizontal compressional stresses?
What type of fault occurs due to horizontal compressional stresses?
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What is the primary mechanism by which marine plates converge at a subduction zone?
What is the primary mechanism by which marine plates converge at a subduction zone?
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What force opposes the movement of a subducting plate at a convergent boundary?
What force opposes the movement of a subducting plate at a convergent boundary?
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Which type of fault is characterized by the hanging wall moving down relative to the footwall?
Which type of fault is characterized by the hanging wall moving down relative to the footwall?
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What is the term for the slow creeping motion of the Earth's mantle due to convection currents?
What is the term for the slow creeping motion of the Earth's mantle due to convection currents?
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Which of the following describes the type of plate boundary where plates slide past one another?
Which of the following describes the type of plate boundary where plates slide past one another?
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Study Notes
Continental Drift Theory
- Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, originated the theory of continental drift.
- Pangaea was a supercontinent divided into two parts:
- Laurasia in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Gondwana in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Panthalassa was the super ocean surrounding Pangaea.
Evidence for Continental Drift
- Continent shapes fitting together support drift theory.
- Fossil similarities across continents include:
- Mesosaurus, a freshwater reptile found in South America and Africa.
- Cynognathus, a Triassic reptile shared by South America and Africa.
- Glossopteris, a fern found in Australia, Antarctica, India, Africa, and South America.
- Lystrosaurus, a Triassic reptile present in Antarctica, India, and Africa.
- Similar rock types and ages across continents indicate historic connections.
- Continuity of geologic features like mountain ranges supports drift.
- Paleo climate data, including glacial striations, reveals prior climatic conditions.
Theory of Plate Tectonics
- The Earth’s crust consists of tectonic plates that move in various directions, causing deformation.
- The lithosphere, a rigid layer, comprises the Earth's crust and upper mantle.
Major Tectonic Plates
- Seven major tectonic plates include Eurasian, Indo-Australian, Pacific, Antarctic, North American, South American, and African plates.
Evidence for Plate Tectonics
- Similar shapes of Africa and South America's coastlines suggest a common origin.
- Earthquakes and volcanoes occur primarily at plate boundaries.
- Heat flow and seafloor elevation point to convection currents in the asthenosphere.
Plate Boundaries
- Plate boundaries are areas where tectonic plates interact.
- Types of plate boundaries include:
- Divergent Boundary: Plates move away from each other.
- Convergent Boundary: Plates move toward each other, including:
- Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence: One plate subducts beneath the other.
- Oceanic-Continental Convergence: The oceanic plate descends beneath continental crust.
- Transform Boundary: Plates slide past one another horizontally.
Mechanisms of Plate Motion
- Driving forces that move tectonic plates:
- Slab Pull: Subducting plate sinks into the mantle.
- Slab Suction: Occurs between converging plates.
- Ridge Push: Gravity pulls plate away from an ocean ridge.
- Resisting forces oppose plate motion:
- Slab Resistance: Occurs during collisions at plate boundaries.
- Collisional Resistance: Opposes slab pull during subduction.
- Transform Fault Resistance: Occurs between offset spreading centers.
- Drag Force: Resistance caused by fluid motion over a solid.
- Mantle Convection: Slow motion of the mantle due to heat from the Earth’s interior.
Types of Faults
- Faults are fractures or zones of fractures between blocks of rock.
- Types of faults include:
- Normal Fault: Caused by tensional stresses; hanging wall moves down.
- Reverse Fault: Resulting from compressional stresses; hanging wall moves up.
- Strike-Slip Fault: Horizontal movement occurs along the fault.
Folds
- Folds are formed when rocks deform without fracturing.
- Types of folds:
- Monoclines: Horizontal strata bent upward with horizontal limbs.
- Anticlines: Upward folds where limbs dip away from the hinge.
- Synclines: Downward folds where limbs dip toward the hinge.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the Continental Drift Theory as proposed by Alfred Wegener. Explore concepts such as Pangaea, Laurasia, Gondwana, and the evidence supporting this groundbreaking idea. This quiz will help reinforce key points from your Science 10 curriculum.
