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Tectonics 1 Flashcards

Includes Examples for every structure

1
Q

What is the plate tectonic theory? What does it explain?

A
  • Earth 3-layered structure
  • Earth’s litosphere broken up, huge pieces (tectonic plates)
  • plates alwayz moving
  • Plate movements -> landforms phenomena
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2
Q

Earth’s structure

A

Crust, uppermost mantle, mantle, core

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3
Q

What does Litosphere contain?

A

Litosphere = Tectonic Plate
- Crust, uppermost mantle

Uppermost mantle is Solid.

Tectonic Plates
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12rAwkWXiw5RGFDGpRY3RhY_ab2Cs2ZpI7u36Bog2OvM/edit Page 2

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4
Q

Two categories of crusts and where they are found

A
  • oceanic (seafloor)
  • continental (continents)

Oceanic denser

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5
Q

What does the asthenosphere contain?

A

Semi-solid Upper mantle

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6
Q

What causes the athenosphere to be semi-solid?

A

Heat from core
causes rocks
Athenosphere melt

Semi-solid Upper mantle, Athenosphere same thing

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7
Q

Core mantle crust temperature thickness

A

Core: 4400-6000deg, 3300km
Mantle: 1000-3700deg, 2900km
Crust: Lowest, 6-70km

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8
Q

Describe what happens at divergent, convergent and transform boundaries

A

Divergent -> Plates move away from one another
Convergent -> towards
Transform -> slide past

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9
Q

How does convection currents lead to divergent plate movement?

A
  1. Heat from Earth’s core -> mantle material decrease, density
  2. Mantle material rises surface
  3. Rising convection currents spreads magma under plates, dragging them apart.
  4. Mantle loses heat, sinks back towards core
  5. material gets heated up again
  6. repeat process
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10
Q

How does slab-pull force contribute to convergent plate movement?

A
  1. two plates converge, denser crust pulled down, gravity
  2. subduct under less dense crust
  3. sink under it’s own weight, pull down rest plate with it
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11
Q

Subduction
- what is it?
- happens to what crust. why?

A

Happens to…?
Oceanic crust only.

Continental crust, 2 little density subduct

Descending under another plate

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12
Q

Magma VS Lava

A

same thing except for location
Magma -> In the volcano
Lava -> Outside of volcano

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13
Q

How is a Fold Mountain formed?

A

Two continental plate converges, buckles, folds, forming fold mountains

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14
Q

Evidence of Seafloor Spreading. What does it show?

A

Rocks age @ seabed pattern
pattern
- Nearest, center mid-oceanic ridge = youngest
- Further away, progressively older

Pattern shows how new oceanic crust is created @ o-o divergence boundary

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15
Q

What is Magnetic Striping?

A
  • Zebra-like pattern strips, normal polarity rocks alternate alongside reversed polarity rocks
  • symmetrical both sides
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16
Q

Explain Normal Polarity in Earth

A

Geographic North, South does not change
Magnetic North, South reversed multiple times
MN points towards GN, MS points towards GS, normal polarity

17
Q

Why/How does Magnetic Striping occur

A
  1. iron-rich lava erupts, center of ridge cools solidifies
  2. forms basaltic (rich in iron) rocks, make up seafloor
  3. Magnetic materials align towards Earth’s local magnetic field at that time
  4. crust is pushed in both directions away from ridge when new lava erupts, solidifies and plates move apart
  5. when polarity reverses rocks records it
  6. over time, more lava move away from ridge due to divergence, forming (what is magnetic striping)

recording evi of polarity at that time

18
Q

1 Divergent Boundary example

A

North American, Eurasian Plate

19
Q

1 Convergent Boundary Example

A

Nazca, South American Plate

20
Q

What forms at o-o divergent plate boundaries?

A
  • Mid oceanic ridges
  • Volcanoes
  • Rift valley
  • Earthquake
21
Q

How does Mid-Oceanic Ridge + Oceanic Crust form?

A
  1. Two oceanic plates move apart
  2. Decrease in overlying pressure, melt underlying mantle -> magma
  3. Magma rises thru weak areas in crust, fills gaps caused by diverging plates
  4. Lava cools, solidifies to form basaltic rocks
  5. Rocks make up new oceanic crust -> mid oceanic ridge

Mid oceanic ridge forms aft new oceanic crust

  1. Heat from Earth’s core -> mantle material to decrease in density
  2. Mantle material rises to surface
  3. Rising convection currents spreads magma (melts due to increase overlying pressure) beneath plates, dragging them apart.
22
Q

Example of Mid-Oceanic Ridge

A

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

LINK
Recall the example for o-o divergence

Eurasian and North American Plate diverge

23
Q

What is formed in divergent c-c plate boundaries?

A
  • Rift valley
  • Volcanoes
  • Earthquakes

Same As O-O diverge except for no mid-oceanic range

24
Q

Example of Rift Valley

A

East African Rift Valley

25
Example of Oceanic Trench
Mariana Trench
26
What forms at convergent oceanic-oceanic boundaries?
- Oceanic trench - Volcanoes - Earthquakes
27
What forms at c-c convergence
- Fold mountains - Earthquakes
28
Example of a fold mountain
Himalayas
29
What forms at oceanic-continental convergent boundaries?
- Oceanic trench - Volcanoes - Fold mountains - Earthquakes
30
what is a chain of volcanoes called?
island arc
31
What forms at transform plate boundaries
- faults - earthquakes
32
Example of fault
San Andreas Fault, USA ## Footnote North American Plate slide past Pacific Plate
33
rift valley formation
1. 2 continental plates move apart 2. rocks fracture, form parellel faults 3. rock btwn faults collapses, form deep rift valley, steep sides 4. plates move apart, decrease overlying pressure, causing underlying mantle, melt -> magma 5. Magma rise thru weak area -> Earth surface, form volcano
34
describe features of mid-oceanic ridge
- center, ridge, deep rift valley, steep sides - magma rise thru weak areas, crust -> surface, submarine volcanoes - successive eruptions, volcanoes break surface, ocean -> volcanic islands ## Footnote occurence of earthquakes
35
describe o-o convergence (special features)
2. denser oceanic plate subducts under less dense plate 3. forms deep depression, oceanic trench 4. high pressure force out water, O crust, lower melting pt, **overlying** mantle, **overlying** mantle -> magma 5. form chain of volcanoes, volcanic island ## Footnote for subduction, always mention that oceanic trench is formed (deep depression)
36
describe o-c convergence
1. oceanic plate collide w/ continental plate 2. denser oceanic plate subduct under continental plate 3. subducting O plate sink -> mantle, high pressure force water out of O crust, reduce mp of overlying mantle, melt overlying mantle -> magma 4. magma rise -> weak areas, crust, Earths surface 5. form volcanoes on continental plate 6. enormous pressure, plate boundary cause rocks, continental plate uplifted, form fold mountain ## Footnote friction along (subduction zone/diverging plate boundary) causes earthquake, occur
37
describe a fault
1. stress caused by plate movement -> fault 2. one plate suddenly slips, another -> earthquake 3. magma does not rise -> surface, no volcano

Geography (17 decks)

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