2. Geomorphic Movements Flashcards
What is a direct source of information about the Earth’s interior?
A direct source provides immediate evidence from the Earth’s interior. Examples include volcanic eruptions, which offer insights into the presence of minerals and the existence of a layer beneath the crust where magma originates, and drilling and mining, which reveal information about the upper part of the crust.
How do volcanic eruptions serve as a direct source of information?
Volcanic eruptions provide direct evidence of the Earth’s interior by clarifying the presence of minerals, indicating a layer below the crust where magma is found, and offering data on the temperature within the Earth.
What are the positives of using direct sources to learn about the Earth’s interior?
Direct sources offer immediate and authentic information about the Earth’s interior. They are also used to verify the data collected from indirect sources, ensuring the accuracy of the information.
What are the limitations of direct sources in studying the Earth’s interior?
Direct sources can only provide information up to a certain depth. For instance, volcanic eruptions give insights up to a maximum of 400 km, while drilling and mining provide data only up to 16 km below the Earth’s surface.
Why is it challenging to gather information about the Earth’s interior from direct sources?
The challenge with direct sources is their limited reach. The deepest drilling operations, like the Kola Superdeep Borehole, have only reached depths of about 12 km, far less than the Earth’s radius of approximately 6,371 km.
