Tectonic Processes

Question 1

What is a plate boundary?

Answer 1

Where 2 plates meet as a result of converging, diverging or sliding past each other.

Question 2

Name the four types of plate boundary.

Answer 2

Divergent (constructive), convergent (Destructive, CO), convergent (collision, CC), conservative

Question 3

Identify the two plate boundaries were the most powerful earthquakes occur.

Answer 3

Convergent(destructive), conservative

Question 4

Identify the two plate boundaries where most volcanoes occur.

Answer 4

Convergent (destructive), divergent

Question 5

What causes tectonic plates to move?

Answer 5

Convection currents in the mantle.

Question 6

What are 3 pieces of evidence that continents move?

Answer 6

• Coal is found in Antarctica. Coal is unlikely to have formed at its current latitude as it requires tropical climates and dense vegetation to form.
• The continental shelf outlines the worlds continents,if pieced together, they fit perfectly with very little overlap of to form a super continent called Pangea.
• Fossil remains of a fresh water reptile called Mesosaurus have been found in both South America and Africa. It is very unlikely that they could have crossed thousands of miles of oceans or evolved identically on separate continents.

Question 7

What is the order of the structure of the earth?

Answer 7

Inner core -> 
outer core ->
asthenosphere 
->lithosphere
->crust

Question 8

What is mantle convection?

Answer 8

Heat is produced in the inner core by the decay of radioactive elements. The lower magma starts to rise to the asthenosphere. When it reaches the top it cools and drops. This repeats and moves in circular motions.

Question 9

What is sea floor spreading?

Answer 9

In the middle of many oceans there are hide mid ocean ridges. These are formed when hot magma is forced up from the asthenosphere and gardens to make a new crust. Usually happens when plates are moving away from each other.

Question 10

What is paleomagnetism?

Answer 10

• The study of past changes to the earth’s magnetic field.
• When lava cools the minerals inside the rock usually line up with the earth’s magnetic direction. They found that the minerals lined up exactly with the changes in the magnetic fields. This shows that the nee rock must have formed at the same time on both sides and proves tectonic activity and sea floor spreading.