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Geography > Tectonics 1 > Flashcards

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.
Only denser oceanic crust can 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 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, cools solidifies
  2. forms basaltic (rich in iron) rocks, make up seafloor
  3. Magnetic materials align towards Earth’s local magnetic force at that time, 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
  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
Q

Example of Volcano

A

Mount Kenya

26
Q

Example of Oceanic Trench

A

Mariana Trench

27
Q

What forms at convergent oceanic-oceanic boundaries?

A
  • Oceanic trench
  • Volcanoes
  • Earthquakes
28
Q

What forms at c-c convergence

A
  • Fold mountains
  • Earthquakes
29
Q

Example of a fold mountain

A

Himalayas

30
Q

What forms at oceanic-continental convergent boundaries?

A
  • Oceanic trench
  • Volcanoes
  • Fold mountains
  • Earthquakes
31
Q

what is a chain of volcanoes called?

A

island arc

32
Q

What forms at transform plate boundaries

A
  • faults
  • earthquakes
33
Q

Example of fault

A

San Adreas Fault, USA

North American Plate slide past Pacific Plate

Geography (12 decks)

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