Unit 2 Plate tectonics

Why was the Continental drift theory not accepted?

The main reason that Wegener's hypothesis was not accepted was because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents.

Explain what is going to happen to California because of the movement along the San Andreas fault?

The part of California that is on the Pacific plates is slowly breaking away from the part that is on the North American plate.

What is the epicenter?

The point of the earth's surface vertically above the focus of an earthquake.

Who developed the Continental drift theory?

Alfred Wegener

What is the continental drift theory?

Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists through continents moved over time.

Name 6 major mountain ranges in the USA?

Himalayas. Atlas Mountains. Alps. Rocky Mountains. Great Dividing Range. Ethiopian Highlands.

How are mountains created?

Most mountains formed from Earth's tectonic plates smashing together. Below the ground, Earth's crust is made up of multiple tectonic plates. They've been moving around since the beginning of time. ... The result of these tectonic plates crumpling is huge slabs of rock being pushed up into the air.

Name three types of mountains?

Upwarped mountains, volcanic mountains, fault-block mountains, and folded (or complex) mountains.

What are Oceanic Trenches?

Oceanic trenches are topographic depressions of the seafloor, relatively narrow in width, but very long.

What are the types of waves?

P waves, S waves, surface waves

What are the causes of an earthquake?

Plate movement along a fault, landslides, volcanic, eruptions, blasting, mining, tracking.

How do we measure earthquakes?

Richter scale that measures the amount of energy released during an earthquake, the scale goes from 0-1. Mercalli scale. The Mercalli scale measures the amount of damage and intensity of an earthquake, measures, the effects of the earthquake on humans, structures, and the environment, scale goes from 1-12.

Which wave can only travel through solids?

S waves

Secondary Waves?

Slower than P- wave, these waves arrive second, can only move through solids.

Describe where I can find these two types of divergent boundaries on Earth today?

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean would be an example of an oceanic-oceanic divergent boundary. The Great Rift Valley in Eastern Africa would be an example of a continental-continental divergent boundary.

What is the focus?

The center of interest or activity.

What is a tectonic plate?

The crust and underlying rigid mantle above the asthenosphere.

What is a convergent plate boundary?

Where two plates come together and collide.

What is a divergent plate boundary?

A divergent plate boundary is where two lithospheric plate are moving apart.

What is a strike-slip fault?

A fault in which rock strata are displaced mainly in a horizontal direction, parallel to the line of the fault.

What is a transform plate boundary?

A lithosphereic plate boundary where two plates slide past each other.

What are mountains?

A mountain is a large landform that rises above the surrounding land in a limited area, usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally considered to be steeper than a hill.

What is a fault?

A natural break or crack in the rocks that make up the earth's crust, along which rocks have moved relative to one another.

What is a plate boundary?

A plate boundary is the area where two different lithospheric plates meet.

What is a subduction zone?

A subduction zone is where one plate goes under another plate.

What is an earthquake?

A sudden release in the earth's crust. Can be very tiny and cause no damage or can be very large and catastrophic.

What is a normal fault?

A type of fault where the hanging wall slides downward; caused by tension in the crust

What is a reverse fault?

A type of fault where the hanging wall slides upward; caused by compression in the crust

Where are earthquakes mostly likely to occur?

Along plate boundaries, along fault zones, in volcanic regions.

Focus?

Also called the hypocenter, the focus is the location under the earth where the earthquake occurred, Waves travel out like ripples in a pond in all directions from the focus.

What are the 3 types of faults?

Normal fault, where two blocks of rocks are pulled apart by tension. Transform fault, where two blocks of rock slides past each other in opposite directions, San Andreas fault in California is a famous example. Reverse fault, where two blocks of rock are pushed together by compression, one side moves up relative to the other, can cause tsunamis.

What is the San Andreas Fault?

The San Andreas Fault is a place where two tectonic plates touch, the North American and Pacific Plates. The plates are rigid ( or almost rigid) slabs of rock that comprise the crust and the upper mantle of the Earth. The SAT is about 700 miles long as the crow flies and about 800 miles long when its curves are measured. It is roughly ten miles deep, and reaches from the Salton Sea in imperial county to Cape Mendocino in Humboldt county.

Evidence of the continental drift theory?

The evidence for the continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of the ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges, and the locations of the ancient climatic zones.

Primary Waves?

The fastest and the first wave, Can move through solid rocks and fluids ( all parts of the earth), Move in a push pull motion.

What features and events occur along these boundaries?

The feature that is created is a transform fault. A fault is a region on Earth's surface that is broken and where movement takes place. Earthquakes also happen frequently along these boundaries.

Epicenter?

The point on the earth's surface vertically above the focus of an earthquake. The location on the Earth directly above the focus of the earthquake, Usually reffered to in media reports- Ex The epicenter was 3.2 km west of downtown Portland, OR.

Surface Waves?

The slowest and last waves, Form when S and P waves reach the earth's surface, move like ripples on a pond, Most destructive.

What are the three types of convergent plate boundaries, and what topographic features and events occur along these boundaries?

The three types of convergent plate boundaries are oceanic-oceanic, continental-continental, and oceanic-continental. The features and events that happen along an oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary are deep ocean trench, volcanic island arc, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. The features and events that happen along an oceanic-continental convergent boundary are deep ocean trench, volcanic mountain ranges, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. The features and events that happen along a continental-continental convergent boundary are mountain ranges, and earthquakes.

What are the two types of divergent plate boundaries, and what topographic features and events occur along these boundaries?

The two types of divergent plate boundaries are oceanic - oceanic divergent boundary, and continental - continental divergent plate boundary. The feature that occur along oceanic - oceanic divergent boundaries are mid-ocean ridges. Events that happen along oceanic-oceanic divergent boundaries are volcanic activity and earthquakes. The feature that is created along continental-continental divergent boundary is a rift valley. Volcanic activity and earthquakes are also common events that happen.

Describe where I could find these three types of convergent boundaries on Earth today?

You could find an oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and Eurasian Plate. This is why the Islands of Japan were created. You could find an oceanic-continental convergent boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate. This is why the Andes Mountain Range was created, and why there are many volcanoes in this range. You could find a continental-continental convergent boundary between Indo-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate. This is why the Himalaya Mountain range was created.