GEO111Homework2
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Stanly Community College *
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Course
111
Subject
Geology
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
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3
Uploaded by ChiefSalamanderMaster780
Christian Nelson
Mr. Jim Boomgarden
GEL-111
15, January 2024
Homework 2
1. Map A shows Wegener’s reconstruction of a late Paleozoic supercontinent. What is its
name? Did the Atlantic Ocean exist then?
- Pangea, the Atlantic Ocean was beginning to open in between modern day North America and Europe.
2. How did Wegener use the reconstruction of climate belts on this map to justify continental
drift? Why can’t the pattern of glacial striations be explained if continents always occupied
their present-day positions?
- It's important to highlight that Wegener proposed that the rotation of the Earth is influenced by how the continents shift towards and apart from each other. Wegener supported his theory by utilizing evidence of climate change. He pointed out that an island in the Arctic Ocean contains fossils of tropical plants, reinforcing his idea that continents were once connected. The theory of continental drift helps explain glacial striations. However, if continents always occupied their current positions, it would be challenging to account for the patterns of glacial striations. This is because the continental drift theory is grounded in the Earth's rotation, emphasizing the significance of continents changing their locations over time.
3. How did Wegener use the distribution of fossils and rock units to support continental drift?
Why did geologists of Wegener’s day reject his hypothesis?
- Wegener discovered identical rocks and fossils on continents presently separated by oceans, leading him to infer that these continents were once connected. However, Wegener was unable to
elucidate the mechanisms or reasons behind the movement of continents.
15. Earthquakes occur down to a depth of several hundred kilometers at convergent plate
boundaries, as shown on Diagram A. What is the inclined band of deeper earthquakes
called? Why does the subducted plate sink?
- The inclined band of deeper earthquakes is called the Wadati–Benioff zone. After initiation, the sustainability of subduction is primarily propelled by the adverse buoyancy of the dense subducting lithosphere. The slab descends into the mantle primarily due to its own weight. Earthquakes frequently occur along the subduction zone, and the fluids released by the subducting plate induce volcanism in the overriding plate.
16. Where does melting occur at a convergent plate boundary? Do volcanic arcs form on the
overriding or subducting plate? How does a continental arc differ from an island arc?
- Melting occurs at the mantle. Volcanic arcs form above a subducting plate. A continental volcanic arc forms along the part of a continent where oceanic crust subducts beneath continental
crust.
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