Lesson 4 - Life and Death of an Ocean Flashcards
What does an embryonic sea represent?
The earliest stages of ocean formation
What causes the stretching and splitting of the continental crust in embryonic seas?
Upwelling of the asthenosphere
What is formed on either side of an axial rift during embryonic ocean formation?
New ocean crust
What characterizes a young ocean?
A narrow sea with parallel coasts and a central depression
Name two examples of young oceans.
- Red Sea
- Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California)
What defines a mature ocean?
An ocean basin with an active mid ocean ridge system
What occurs under pressure when hot melted rocks rise?
Volcanic material forms, causing a line of volcanoes and earthquakes
What is formed if the destructive plate boundary is beneath continental crust?
Huge mountain chains
What are the stages of an ocean’s lifecycle?
Embryonic, Young, Mature, Declining, Terminal
What characterizes an ocean in terminal decline?
Shrinking and uplifting of young mountains as an ocean plate is subducted
Which ocean is currently in its mature stage?
Atlantic Ocean
What is the average cycle time for ocean formation and destruction?
200 million years
Fill in the blank: The __________ Sea is an example of an ocean in terminal decline.
Mediterranean Sea
What geological feature is associated with the declining stage of an ocean?
Active sea floor spreading and shrinking, island arcs, and destructive plate margins
