Wilson Cycle and Ocean Basins

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an embryonic basin?

What is the main difference between a juvenile basin and a mature basin?

Which stage of the Wilson Cycle is characterized by the formation of palaeomagnetic stripes?

What is the term used to describe the gradual elimination of an ocean basin?

Which of these options is NOT a feature of a declining basin?

What geological process is mainly responsible for the fast rates of spreading at the East Pacific Rise?

Which ocean basin is noted for its considerable mountain building and earthquake activity along its boundaries?

What characteristic best describes the Southern Ocean?

Which of the following accurately describes the Arctic Ocean Basin?

Which river system contributes to the large freshwater input in the Atlantic Ocean Basin?

Wilson Cycle

The Wilson Cycle describes the sequence of events leading to the formation, growth/expansion, destruction/contracting, and eventual elimination of ocean basins.
The cycle involves stages: embryonic, juvenile, mature, declining, and terminal.
Each stage has specific characteristics, including uplift, spreading, divergence, convergence, and subduction.
Modern examples of each stage include East Africa rift valleys (embryonic), the Red Sea (juvenile), the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans (mature), the Pacific Ocean (declining), and the Mediterranean Sea (terminal).

Ocean Basins

There is one world ocean, but it is divided into five major ocean basins: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), and Arctic.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest, covering 180,000,000 km².
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest, covering 107,000,000 km². Its average depth is 3,310 m.
The Indian Ocean covers 74,000,000 km², with an average depth of 3,840 m.
The Southern Ocean, (Antarctic Ocean), covers 20,327,000 km², its average depth is 3,270 m.
The Arctic Ocean, the smallest, covers 14,056,000 km² and its average depth is 1,038 m.
Each basin exhibits unique characteristics, such as areal coverage, average depth, sediment input, marginal seas, and the presence of volcanic island systems and trenches.

Explore the Wilson Cycle, which outlines the lifecycle of ocean basins from formation to elimination. Understand the stages of the cycle with examples like the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Gain insights into the characteristics and significance of the major ocean basins of the world.