M2 Subtopic 4

Question 1

The Four Layers of the Earth.

Answer 1

Crust, Mantle, Outer Core and Inner Core

Question 2

the outermost layer of the Earth, comprising the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. It is rigid and brittle, divided into tectonic plates that move and interact at their boundaries

Answer 2

Lithosphere

Question 3

lies directly beneath the lithosphere and is part of the upper mantle. It is a semi-fluid layer that can flow and deform, allowing the rigid lithospheric plates to move on top of it

Answer 3

Asthenosphere

Question 4

Refers to the changing earth’s surface caused by tectonic forces that accumulate in the crust and then cause earthquakes.

Answer 4

Crustal Deformation

Question 5

the bending, tilting, and breaking of Earth’s crust; the change in the shape of rock in response to stress

Answer 5

Deformation

Question 6

a condition of gravitational and buoyant equilibrium between Earth’s lithosphere and asthenosphere.

Answer 6

Isostasy

Question 7

Factors Influencing Rock Deformation

Answer 7

High/low Temperatures. High Pressures, Rock Composition, Time

Question 8

can make rocks more ductile, leading to plastic deformation

Answer 8

High temperatures

Question 9

typically result in brittle deformation

Answer 9

Low temperatures

Question 10

can cause rocks to deform plastically. At lower pressures, rocks are more likely to fracture

Answer 10

High Pressures

Question 11

Different types of rocks deform in different ways; for example, sedimentary rocks often deform plastically, while igneous rocks tend to fracture

Answer 11

Rock Composition

Question 12

is the force applied per unit area within rocks. It can be categorized into different types based on the direction and nature of the force.

Answer 12

Stress

Question 13

Squeezes rocks together, causing them to shorten and thicken. Commonly associated with folding and reverse faulting

Answer 13

Compressional Stress

Question 14

Pulls rocks apart, causing them to lengthen and thin. Associated with normal faulting

Answer 14

Tensional Stress

Question 15

Causes rocks to slide past each other horizontally. Associated with strike-slip faulting

Answer 15

Shear Stress

Question 16

the deformation or change in shape of rocks as a result of applied stress

Answer 16

Strain

Question 17

Temporary and reversible change in shape. Rocks return to their original shape when the stress is removed.

Answer 17

Elastic Strain

Question 18

Permanent change in shape that occurs without fracturing. Rocks remain deformed even after the stress is removed.

Answer 18

Plastic Strain

Question 19

Permanent change in shape that results in fracturing or breaking of rocks.

Answer 19

Brittle Strain

Question 20

occurs due to compressive forces that shorten and thicken the Earth’s crust. It often results in the formation of mountain ranges

Answer 20

Folding

Question 21

Fold Parts

Answer 21

Limbs
Axis
Axial Plane

Question 22

Types of Folds

Answer 22

Anticline
Syncline
Monocline

Question 23

An upward-arching fold with the oldest rocks at the core. Arch shaped

Answer 23

Anticline

Question 24

A downward-arching fold with the youngest rocks at the core. Bowl shape

Answer 24

Syncline

Question 25

A fold in which rock layers dip in one direction between horizontal layers. Formed when one part of Earth’s crust moves up or down relative to another part

Answer 25

Monocline

Question 26

occurs due to tectonic forces that cause rocks to break and move. The type of stress determines the kind of fault that forms

Answer 26

Faulting

Question 27

A fault in which the hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall. * Ex. The Great Rift Valley

Answer 27

Normal Fault

Question 28

Compression causes the hanging wall to move upward relative to the footwall

Answer 28

Reverse Fault

Question 29

a special type of reverse, the fault plane is at a low angle.

Answer 29

Thrust Fault

Question 30

The rock on either side of the fault plane slides horizontally in response to shear stress. It slides or slips, parallel to the direction of the length, or strike, of the fault. Commonly occurs in transform boundary

Answer 30

Strike Slip Faults

Question 31

Types of Boundaries

Answer 31

Continental-Continental Convergence
Divergent Boundaries
Transform Boundaries

Question 32

Plates slide past each other horizontally. Crust is neither created nor destroyed

Answer 32

Transform Boundaries

Question 33

Caused by the movement of plates along fault lines

Answer 33

Earthquake

Question 34

Occurs at divergent and convergent boundaries where magma reaches the surface

Answer 34

Volcanic Activity

Question 35

Result of plate collisions and compressions

Answer 35

Mountain Building

Question 36

Due to seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges

Answer 36

Ocean Basin Formation

Question 37

Formed by the bending of rocks under pressure, common at convergent boundaries

Answer 37

Folds

Question 38

Cracks where rocks have slipped past each other, common at transform boundaries.

Answer 38

Faults

Question 39

Deep valleys in the ocean floor at subduction zones (e.g., Mariana Trench).

Answer 39

Trenches

Question 40

Formed by rising magma from subduction zones or divergent boundaries (e.g., Pacific Ring of Fire).

Answer 40

Volcanoes

Question 41

Formed at divergent boundaries where the crust is pulling apart (e.g., East African Rift)

Answer 41

Rift Valleys

Question 42

Formed by the collision and compression of continental plates at convergent boundaries (e.g., Himalayas, Andes).

Answer 42

Mountain Ranges

Question 43

Provided the initial idea that continents move

Answer 43

Continental Drift

Question 44

Offered a mechanism for how continents could move apart

Answer 44

Seafloor Spreading

Question 45

Unified these ideas into a comprehensive theory explaining the movement and interaction of Earth’s plates, shaping the surface over geological time scales

Answer 45

Plate Tectonics