Chapter 8A (plate tectonics)

Question 1

Who realized that the continents all fit together?

Answer 1

Abraham Ortelius (Dutch mapmaker)

Question 2

Who proposed continental MOVEMENT?

Answer 2

Alfred Wegner (German Scientist)

Question 3

What is Pangea?

Answer 3

A large supercontinent that was all the landmass 200 million years ago

Question 4

Wegner’s 1st piece of evidence?

Answer 4

Rock formations - he said there should be similar types of rock and similar formation where the continents broke apart. (True)

Question 5

Wegners 2nd piece of evidence?

Answer 5

Fossils - he said that similar types of fossils, animals and plants should be at continent boundaries (True)

Question 6

What did Wegner discover in Antarctica?

Answer 6

Coal beds

Question 7

How did Wegners discovery of coal in Antarctica support Pangea?

Answer 7

Coal was formed from dead swamp plants which means Antarctica must have once been a warmer climate and was close to the equator to support that type of life.

Question 8

What was the strongest piece of evidence for Wegners theory?

Answer 8

Mid-ocean ridges that were discovered in 1960

Question 9

1st layer of planet earth?

Answer 9

Lithosphere (crust) - made of large brittle plates and upper parts of the asthenosphere, plates

Question 10

2nd layer of earth?

Answer 10

Asthenosphere (mantle) - called the weak layer, Materials are hot enough that they are never melting; so they can flow easily, moves like hot tar

Question 11

3rd layer of earth?

Answer 11

Mesosphere (lower mantle) - a more ridged layer beneath he asthenosphere, can move under heat pressure, like silly putty, force is strong enough to move continents

Question 12

4th layer of the earth?

Answer 12

Outer liquid core

Question 13

5th and final layer of earth?

Answer 13

Solid inner core - the flow of metallic iron creates the magnetic field, called magnetosphere, protects earth from HARMFUL solar radiation, we would be dead without it

Question 14

1st layer of composition?

Answer 14

Crust - Continental Crust (made out of relatively light granite rock), Oceanic Crust (made of dark dense volcanic rock called basalt)

Question 15

2nd layer of composition?

Answer 15

Mantle - made of mostly iron and some crystal fragments

Question 16

3rd layer of composition?

Answer 16

Core - made mostly of iron and nickel, there is no distinction between the inner and outer core because they are made from the same materials

Question 17

What could provide the heat to make asthenosphere and mantle move?

Answer 17

Heat of information