Physical Geography Hazardous Earth Flashcards
Average depth of continentalcrust
35km
Density of continental crust
2.6 kg/m^3
Depth of oceanic crust
10km
Density of oceanic crust
3kg/m^3
Depth of lithosphere
crust-100km
Characteristics of the lithosphere
Rigid
Depth of Asthenosphere
100-300km
Characteristics of asthenosphere
Plastic
Depth of mesosphere
300-2900km
Characteristics of mesosphere
Solid
Depth of core
2900-6400km
Inner core characteristics
Solid iron and nickel
Outer core characteristics
liquid
When did maps of seismic activity emerge
1960s
Evidence for continental drift and plate techtonics
Plate movement
geological evidence
biological evidence
paleomagnetism
the age of sea-floor rocks
Define plate movement
convection currents due to rising parts of the asthenosphere that reach lithosphere, dragging the techtonic plates.
Who originally proposed continental drift
Alfred Wegener 1912
Examples of geological evidence for plate techtonics
Fit of SA and africa
Glaciacion of India, Australia
Biological evidence for plate techtonics
Glossopteris fossil found in Antarctica, Australia, India
Mesosaurus in SA and Africa
Define paleomagnetism
Changes in earths polarity is recorded in minerals on the sea floor.
How does the age of the sea floor rocks present evidence for plate techtonics
oldest sediments found near continents, younger deposits found out in oceans.
Large scale trenches suggest that crust subduction into the asthenosphere
Define ridge push
Plate pushed by the weight of a mid-ocean ridge
Define slab pull
Plate pulled by the weight of its cold, dense subducting region.
Define convection currents
Plate dragged by a convection current in the mantle
What boundry occurs during divergent plate movement
Constructive boundry
What boundry occurs during convergent plate movement
destructive (oceanic to continental)
What boundry occurs during transform plate movement
conservative
What boundry occurs during convergent plate movement (continental - continental)
collision
What boundry occurs during convergent plate movement (oceanic - oceanic)
destructive (oceanic to oceanic)
What type of lava is in an explosive eruption
Acidic
What type of lava is in an effusive eruption
Basic
Properties of pyroclastic flow
Explosive eruption
Up to 500 degrees
Poisonous
Faster than 100mph
Properties of tephra
Explosive eruption
Tiny fragments of rock thrown by an eruption (often creates volcanic ash)
Properties of Poisonous gas
Explosive and effusive
Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide
produces acid rain
Properties of a lahar
Explosive eruption (must have tephra)
Fast flow of mud and tephra produced by heavy rains after an eruption
local, up to 50kmph
Properties of a tsunami in an eruption (+speed)
Explosive eruption
wave speed up to 600kmph
Define Jokulhlaup
Explosive and effusive eruptions
sudden release of glacial melt water
Define volcanic winter
Effusive and explosive
Global scale, can cause food shortages.
Sulphur dioxide
What are techtonic plates made of
Crust and lithosphere
What is a volcano
A landform created by eruption of molten rock
Define volatile
Evapourates without energy (water)
Rock can now melt as volatiles have been added (destructive boundry)
Define decompression
No longer being pushed down by crust
Allows rock to melt and erupt (shield)
Plate boundry of basic lava
Constructive/ divergent
Type of melting/eruption for basic lava
decompression
Which layers melt to form basic lava
Mantle
Viscocity and silica content of basic lava
Not viscous, less silica
How are gasses vented in basic lava
Vented steadily