Plate tectonics + Seasons Flashcards
What angle of tilt is the earth’s axis?
23 1/2
How long does it take the earth to revolve around the axis?
24 hours
How long does it take the earth to revolve around the sun?
365.25 days
What season is it for the Northern Hemisphere when the earth is closest to the sun?
Winter
What season is it for the Southern Hemisphere when the earth is closest to the sun?
Summer
When is the first day of summer and what is it called?
June 20-22, Summer Solstice
When is the first day of fall and what is it called?
9/20-9/22, Autumnal Equinox
When is the first day of winter and what is it called?
12/20-22, Winter Solstice
When is the first day of spring and what is it called?
3/20-22, Vernal Equinox
In what season does the sun appear lowest in the sky?
Winter
In what season does the sun appear highest in the sky?
Summer
What is the inner core made out of?
Iron and Nickle, It’s a solid
What is the outer core made of?
Liquid (Magma?)
What helps deflect solar winds?
The earth’s magnetic force
What can a convection current be compared to?
A lava lamp
What are the three types of plate movement?
Divergent, Convergent, and Transform
What happens when plates are Divergent?
They move away from each other
What happens when plates are Convergent?
They move towards each other
What happens when plates are Transverse?
They slide past each other
What is the Trifecta of analyzing natural disasters?
Environmental, Societal, and Economic
What are the types of plates?
Oceanic and Continental
What happens when Continental + Continental plates collide?
There’s not much subduction, crust buckles and folds and creates mountains.
What natural formations are caused by Continent / Continent plate collision?
Mountains
What are some famous results of CC collision?
Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Himalayan Mountains.
What happens when Continental / Oceanic plates collide?
The oceanic crust subducts because it is denser and thinner, then melts and becomes magma, the magma then rises and breaks through the crust creating volcanoes.
What natural formations are caused by Continent / Oceanic plate collision?
A series of volcanoes / Volcanic mountain chains
What are some famous results of CO collision?
Cascade Mountains
What happens when Oceanic + Oceanic crust collides?
One plate subducts, melts, the magma rises, breaks through the rust, and forms volcanoes.
What natural formations are caused by OO collisions?
Volcanoes / a Volcanic Island arc
What are some famous results of OO collision?
Japan, Aleutian Islands
What is the importance of P and S waves?
They help us map the center of the earth
Which type of wave cannot travel through liquids?
S waves
What do divergent boundaries create?
New crust, earthquakes, and volcanism.
Where are most divergent boundaries found?
In the ocean
What are some of the most famous divergent boundaries?
Atlantic ridge, African rift valley
What causes divergent boundaries to spread?
Convection currents
Explain the process of a convection current
Gravity pulls cooler parts of the mantle downwards, then those parts heat up and rise due to less density. The cycle then repeats.
What natural disasters do Transverse / Transform boundaries create?
Since there is no subduction no land forms, however it causes powerful earthquakes.
Explain the process of how transverse boundaries create earthquakes
Friction builds due to pressure and when the plates slip it causes an earthquake.
What are some famous results of transverse boundaries?
San Andreas Fault, CA
Explain the process of an earthquake
Plates are pressed together with tremendous force, the pressure / energy is building due to convection currents and can cause a sudden slip along the fault / boundary. The sudden slip releases a bunch of energy.
Why does aftershock occur?
After the plates slip they must come back / equalize again
What is a hotspot?
A piece of the deeper mantle rises below the crust and creates volcanoes not along a plate boundary.
What must occur for a Tsunami to be created?
The earthquake must be underwater and the sea floor must be displaced.
What is a negative societal + environmental impact of Tsunamis?
Saltwater intrusion to freshwater, intrusion on aquifers.
