Hazardous Earth Flashcards
What does the Earths interior structure consist of?
Crust-
*Continental + Oceanic
Mantle -
*Lithosphere (Includes crust to 100km) - rigid
*Asthenosphere (100km- 300km) - Rheid
*Mesosphere (300km - 2900km) - Solid because pressure is too high
Core-
Outer core -
Liquid
Inner core -
solid due to pressure
Undergoes radioactive decay that provides heat the the mantle to drive convection currents
What are the 3 main processes that are believed to move plates?
Convection Currents/Mantle Drag
Slab Pull
Ridge Push
What is the thickness, density and composition of continental and oceanic crust?
Continental
35KM Thick
2.7 g/cm^3
Granitic, Silicon, and aluminium
Oceanic
7KM Thick
2.9 g/cm^3
Basaltic, silicon and magnesium
Explain mantle drag/convection currents
Are found in the asthenosphere, caused by the rising heat from radioactive decay of isotopes deep in the core. As a result, the rheid layer in the asthenosphere flows carrying the solid lithosphere on top of it.
There are two types/theories of convection currents: Shallow and deep convection currents.
The shallow convection current theory suggests there are two sets of convection currents, one in the asthenosphere and one above, that move together to move the plates.
The deep convection current theory suggests the mantle circulates through all the layers.
Explain ridge push
Magma rises as the plates move apart. The magma cools to form new plate material. As it cools It becomes denser and slides down away from the ridge. This causes other plates to move away from each other.
Explain slab pull
Is another gravitational force generated by plates subducting. Develops because the lithosphere is denser than the underlying asthenosphere and sinks like a stone in the water, pulling the plate behind it.
Is there a dominant process that moves plates?
No, it is the interaction between all three theories that work together to move the plates, however, it is more ridge push and slab pull than convection currents.
What are the 4 interrelated ideas of continental drift?
1- Wegner’s Theories (Geological and Biological)
2- Palaeomagnetism
3- Sea Floor Spreading
4- Age of sea floor rocks
What are the 6 pieces of evidence that Wegener used to prove continental drift?
RIFFJM
Rocks aka geological fit
Ice aka glacial fit
Fold Mountains aka tectonic fit
Fossil record aka fossil fit
Jigsaw fit
Explain the jigsaw fit (Alfred Wegener’s theories)
Africa and South America both fit together at a depth of 1000 meters. However, they dont fit perfectly because of gaps however these can be explained by:
-Erosion of the coastlines would have been different 237 Ma
-Deposition again would be different
- Rise in sea level since 237 Ma
-Isostatic change since 237 Ma
Explain the geological fit (Alfred Wegener’s theories)
The geology of South America and Africa match up such as old fold mountains and cratons. Are around 200 Ma, and when the continents are joined together have the same age and rock type.
Explain the tectonic fit (Alfred Wegener’s theories)
Fragments of a old fold mountain belt between 450-400 Ma found across Norway, Greenland, Scotland, Canada, Ireland and some other countries where these land masses where aligned.
Explain the glacial fit (Alfred Wegener’s theories)
Evidence from 290 Ma of the effects of contemporaneous glaciation in South America, Australia, southern Africa, India and Antarctica. This suggests that these land masses were joined at this time, located close to the south pole (Gondwanaland). We can also see striations in the rocks that suggest glaciers were moving as they are basically scratch marks in the rock where the glacier was moving.
Explain the fossil fit (Alfred Wegener’s theories)
Fossils of the same species were found across different continents. One is the Mesosaurus, found in South America and Africa. These species cannot swim across oceans and could not have evolved the same across different continents so the continents must have been joined. This is further proved my plant fossils found in Antarctica and Australia which cannot transfer across the sea to breed so these continents must have been joined.
What is palaeomagnetism?
Is the study of the Earth’s ancient magnetic field. In the 1950s, technology designed to track submarines measured very small variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. When used by geologists the magnetic field showed up as a striped pattern across the ocean floor.
How do the symmetrical magnetic orientation strips form on the sea floor?
1- At the MORs lava is extruded from the ridge creating basaltic igneous rocks forming new oceanic crust.
2- Iron is found in this lava flow, which is magnetic
3- When the lava cools at the MOR, iron particles are cooled and locked in the magnetic orientation pointing true north at the time it cooled
4- However, the Earths polarity is not constant and changes every 400k-500k years in reverses.
5- This explains the striped pattern across the ocean floor as each band shows a reversal.
6- When the palaeomagnetic data was observed from the studies of the mid Atlantic ridge in the 1960s it led to the idea of sea floor spreading
How is palaeomagnetism used to prove continental drift?
The symmetrical pattern of the bands either side of the MOR indicated
Fresh molten rock from the asthenosphere reached the ocean floor at the MOR
The older rock had been pushed away from the MOR
The alternating pattern shows many polar reversals which happen every 300,000 years, which shows that the sea floor must have moved in order for older rocks to have alternating patterns on them
How can we use the age of sea floor rocks to prove continental drift?
The youngest material is at the ridge and the oldest material is furthest away at the subduction zone at oceanic trenches where it returns to the asthenosphere to become molten again. This shows that the plates must have moved if older rocks are found at the subduction zones.
What are the 3 types of plate boundaries?
Divergent
Convergent
Conservative
What happens at MORs (Divergent plate boundary underwater)?
- Magma that rises up from the asthenosphere has the force to push apart plates via mantle drag, slab pull and ridge push
- Such splits in the crust tend to create MORs. These are submarine chain mountains that can get up to 3km high and 60km in length
- As the magma rises the ridged lithosphere and crustal rocks are forced up into a dome, this is because it is rigid, the stress created as the dome rises results in rocks fracturing
- This results in earthquakes, however if magma reaches the surface
What are the main features of divergent plate boundaries?
Basalt Pillow Lavas
Black Smokers
Transform Faults
Rift Valleys
Submarine Mountains
What are the three spreading speeds and what types of landforms do they create at Divergent Plate boundaries?
Fast Spreading (Up to 16.5 cm/yr) - Creates broad and smooth mountain chains, with no central rift valley
Medium Spreading (5-10cm/yr) - Poorly defined central rift valley, relatively smooth mountain chains
Slow Spreading(2-3cm/yr) - Steep sloped mountain chains, clearly defined rift valley
Explain the formation of pillow lavas
Magma erupts directly onto the seabed and is cooled rapidly, which forms the rounded pillow lavas.
Explain the formation of black smokers
At mid-ocean ridges, sea water seeps into faults and is super-heated. As it rises back to the surface, it causes changes in the basaltic rocks. Superheated jets of mineral-rich water re-emerge on the ocean floor, containing metal sulfates. Where they emerge, they are called “Hydrothermal vents.”
What is the case study used for a mid-ocean ridge that runs through a country?
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs through Iceland,
This is where the North American and Eurasian plates are moving away from each other. It is approximately 15,000km long and rises between 2-3km above the ocean floor and has a rift valley at its crest marking the location at which the two plates move apart.
How do rift valleys form?
- The uprising magma from the asthenosphere creates a dominating effect. This creates tension in the brittle crust as it is stretched, which causes faulting.
- As the faulting continues around the dome, it forms a sunken valley as the central collumn, known as the Graben, collapses, caused by gravitational foci parallel to the lines of faults. This movement causes many low-energy earthquakes to occur here. As the rift valley widens, magma rises, creating fissure eruptions along the fault lines.
- Eventually, the rifty valley will sink below sea level, inundated with water. This is how the red sea between the African and Arabic penisula formed.
- As the plate continues to move, it will create a new ocean.
What is the case study for a rift valley?
The Great Rift Valley in Africa
It stretches for 5000km from Israel to Mozambique. At the northern end of the system, the Arabian plate is moving north-eastward, while the African plate is moving south-westward. In some places, the valley has sunk below sea level, which has formed the red sea and further the dead sea.
What are the three types of convergent plate boundaries?
Oceanic-Oceanic
Oceanic-Continental
Continental-Continental
What happens at an oceanic-oceanic convergent plate boundary?
When two oceanic plates meet, the slightly denser one will be subducted, forming an oceanic trench. As the descending plate melts, magma rises to the surface, erupting as a chain of volcanoes known as an island arc.
What are some case studies for an oceanic-oceanic convergent plate boundary?
The Aleutian Islands and the Marian Trench
Indonesian Archipelago (Merapi, Anak Krakatau and Krakatau)
What happens at an oceanic-continental convergent plate boundary?
When a denser oceanic plate meets a less dense continental plate, the oceanic plate is forced down under the continental plate in a process called subduction. An oceanic trench forms where the subduction takes place. Also, as subduction occurs some of the sediment rocks and oceanic crust are scraped off onto the continental plate in a process called obduction. This forms accretionary wedges where the layers are deformed and metamorphosed.
What is the case study for the oceanic-continental convergent plate boundary?
The Andes. Here, the oceanic Nazca plate is moving eastwards towards the continental South American plate at about 7.9mm per year.
The oceanic trench formed here is called the Peru-Chile (Atacama Trench). The Andes are formed by the process of obduction.
How else do fold mountains such as the Andes form along oceanic-continental convergent plate boundaries?
As the oceanic crust subducts under the continental, it will still be saturated with sea water. When the crust starts to melt, flux melting occurs, making the magma more dense and rising upwards towards the surface. This causes vertical uplift of the crust and creates fold mountains.
What happens at a continental-continental convergent plate boundary (collision zone)?
When two continental plates with equal densities collide, due to their buoyancy, neither subducts, so it thickens the crust due to folding and faulting and pushes the crust vertically due to compressional forces. This faulting can create occasional shallow earthquakes.
What is the case study for a continental-continental convergent plate boundary (collision zone)?
The Himalayas. Extend for 2900jm reaching a max elevation of 8848 meters. This was formed when the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate, which scraped the seabed upwards which is why the mountains are made of sea sediments.
What are 5 factors that influence the type of volcanic activity at a location.
- Type of plate boundary
- Chemistry of lava
- Viscosity of lava
- Type of material erupted
- How the eruptions take place
What is viscosity?
An indication of how well a substance flows.
What are the two categories that eruptions can be place into?
Explosive
Effusive
What are the 6 types of eruptions?
Icelandic
Hawaiian
Strombolian
Vesuvian
Vulcanian
Plinian
What are the two effusive eruptions?
Icelandic
Hawaiian
What products do effusive eruptions create?
Lava plateaus
Shield Volcano
What is the VEI of effusive eruptions?
0-1
What are the 4 explosive eruptions?
Strombolian
Vesuvian
Vulcanian
Plinian
What products do explosive eruptions create?
Calderas
Strato-volcanos
What is the VEI of explosive eruptions?
Strombolian - VEI = 2
Vulcanian - VEI = 3-4
Vesuvian - VEI = 4-5
Plinian - VEI = 5-8
Where are effusive volcanoes found?
Divergent plate boundaries (Iceland and Hawaii)
What type of lava do effusive volcanoes erupt?
Basic (basaltic) lava with a low silica percentage, low viscosity, and high temperature vesicles form
What is the style of eruption of effusive volcanoes?
Gas bubbles expand freely so explosion is limited
What materials are erupted from effusive volcanoes?
Gas and lava flows
What is the frequency of effusive volcanoes?
Frequently (Daily)
What is the shape of effusive volcanoes?
Shield volcano and lava plateau from multiple fissures
Where are explosive volcanoes found?
Convergent plate boundary
What type of lava do explosive volcanoes erupt?
Rhyolite and Andesitic (Silicic magma)
Acidic Magma
High silica percentage
Low temperature
High viscosity
What is the style of explosion of effusive volcanoes?
A violent burst of gas, highly explosive, at the top of the cone can be shattered and blown off, forming calderas.
What materials are erupted from explosive volcanoes?
Gas, dust, ash, lava flows, bombs, tephra, and pyroclastic flow
What is the frequency of explosive volcanoes?
Tend to have periods of no activity (Dormant)
What is the shape of explosive volcanoes?
Steep sides stratovolcanoes and calderas
What are lava plateaus?
Created at divergent plate boundaries where basic lava is free-flowing. These erupt from multiple fissures in the ground and can produce vast quantities over a period of hundreds of years to form basalt floods. They usually have a shape of 1 degree, so they are really flat.
What are flood basalts?
A very large area of basalt lava erupted over 100 - 1000 of yeas from multiple of eruption events.
What are some examples of lava plateaus?
Deccan Plateau in India: 500,000 km^2
Colombian Plateau in USA: 130,000 km^2
What are shield volcanoes?
Shield volcanoes are found at divergent plate boundaries, usually underwater along mid-ocean ridges.
Iceland is the exception, and it owes its creation to exceptionally high volcanic activity. These volcanoes have gentle, sloping sides but can build up after successive flows accumulate for long enough.
What are hot spots?
Is an area on Earth that exists over a mantle plume.
What is a mantle plume?
an area under the crust where magma is hotter than the surrounding magma. Heat from this extra-hot magma causes melting and thinning of the crust, which leads to widespread volcanic activity on the earth’s surface above the mantle plume. Can cause both effusive and explosive eruptions.
What can hot spots create?
Chain islands: as the plates move over the hot spot, volcanoes will form. When the plates move again, this volcano will be moved off of the hot spot, causing the volcano to become extinct.
How many hot spots are there around the world?
40-50
What is the equation to calculate the rate of movement of a plate?
Distance on map/scale length x 100
What can chain islands tell us about plates?
How fast the plate is moving per year.
Where are most stratovolcanoes located?
Ring of fire
Describe a stratovolcano
Occur at convergent plate boundaries. They are made of layers of ash and acidic viscous andesitic or rhyolitic lava. They have a concave symmetrical pattern.
What are 11 features of a stratovolcano?
Magma chamber
Vents
Sills
Dykes
Layers of ash and lava
Flanks
Throat
Pyroclastic cone
Lava flows
Craters
Ash clouds
What are sills?
Where lava intrudes between layers, faults parallel to the layers
What are dykes?
Where lava intrudes at right angles to the layers through faults.
What makes a stratovolcano explosive?
Acidic magma such as rhyolite and andesite does not flow readily (it is viscous), so the vent of the stratovolcano can often be filled with a mass of solidified magma. This allows great pressure to build up. When fresh magma rises, violent eruptions can occur, blowing the top of the volcano off. This can sometimes lead to a caldera forming.
What are calderas?
Are volcanic creaters, which can be from 2-100 km in diameter. They develop when an explosive eruption destroys much of the cone and the underlying magma chamber is emptied, so the top collapses.