Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Volcanism Flashcards
How did earths continental crust come to form?
Tectonic activity (powered by internal energy ; endogenic) + Weathering and erosion (powered by the Sun through motion of air, water, and ice; exogenic).
What is Crustal Formation?
upwelling of magma from diverging plates results in a new oceanic crust, with a new igneous rock, which is mafic (denser). When oceanic plate and continental plate meet, subduction occurs, intrusive or extrusive igneous rock may present themselves.
What are Three Uplifted Crustal Regions?
- Residual mountains and stable continental cratons
- Tectonic mountains and landforms (active)
- Volcanic features
How are Residual mountains and stable continental cratons formed?
formed from inactive remnants of ancient tectonic activity. Kind of in the middle of plates. (old mountains)
How are Tectonic mountains and landforms formed?
produced by active folding, faulting, and crustal movement (young mountains)
How are Volcanos formed?
formed by surface accumulation of molten rock from eruptions of subsurface materials.
What is a Craton?
A craton, or heartland region, is an old and stable part of the continental crust. Nowhere near the plate boundary.
What are the three forms of Craton?
-Continental Shield
-A Platform
-Basement or Crystalline Basement
What is a continental shield?
A continental shield is a region with a craton that is exposed at the surface, older stuff.
What is a platform?
A platform is a continental area covered by relatively flat or gently tilted sedimentary strata.
What is a basement or crystalline basement?
A basement or crystalline basement is a region below a sedimentary platform or cover.
Which layer of craton has the oldest stuff?
Sheilds
What is the process of building a continental crust?
Includes subduction and remelting (volcanism), plate collisions, accretion. Meeting of plate tectonics, continental plate and an oceanic plate. Oceanic plate gets subducted, we get destruction of that plate, melting upwelling of magma, which creates new intrusive igneous rock or extrusive igneous rock if it reaches the surface.
How are mountains formed?
we have continental crust plate collisions, similar densities so either place is going to be resistant to subducting. It was a very energetic collision, resulting in a lot of uplifting.
What is the role of accretion in building continental crust?
oceanic plate and continental plate, oceanic plate is being subducted. We get destruction and remelting, on this oceanic plate we have an inactive volcanic island arc riding atop the oceanic plate. That inactive arc will collide with the continental plate, the volcanic island arc becomes part of the continental plate
True or False: Rocks are subjected to stress due to tectonic forces, gravity, and the pressure from overlying rocks.
True.
What are the three types of stress on rocks?
Tension
Compression
Shear
What does tension stress do?
Tension stress causes stretching strain.
What does compression stress do?
Compression stress causes shortening strain.
What does Shear stress do?
Shear stress causes twisting laterally strain (scissors).
What is a strain on rocks?
Strain is how rocks respond to stress and are expressed in rocks by folding (bending) or faulting (breaking).
How is strain expressed on rocks?
Folding or Faulting
When rock strata that are layered __________ are subjected to compressional forces, they become deformed.
horizontally
When does folding occur?
Folding occurs when rocks are deformed as a result of compressional stress and shortening.
What is an Anticline?
An arch-shaped upward fold.
- the rock strata slope downward away from an imaginary center axis that divides the fold into two parts
What is a Syncline?
A trough-shaped downward fold
-the strata slope upward away from the center axis, slopes downward (Opposite of anticline).
How is synclinal ridge formed?
The erosion of a syncline may form a synclinal ridge
When does faulting occur?
Faulting occurs when rocks on either side of the fracture shift relative to the other side
What is a fault zone?
Fault zones are areas where fractures in the rock demonstrate crustal movement
What is the The fracture surface along which the two sides of a fault move called?
Fault Plane
How do you differentiate the three main types of faults?
Tilt and orientation of the fault plane
what are the three main types of faults?
Normal
Reverse
Strike-Slip
What is a Normal fault linked to?
Tensional Stress
What is a Reverse Fault linked to?
Compressional Stress