Lab 7 -PlateTectonics_activity

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Oct 30, 2023

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Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. This lab covers the mechanisms of plate tectonics and the resulting landforms and events we see and feel on Earth’s surface. At the end of this lab you should be able to: 1) Explain the theory of plate tectonics in your own words 2) Summarize the reasons for different plate boundary interactions and describe the resulting surface landforms and events. 3) Evaluate where on Earth’s surface we have plate boundaries and describe the processes happening at these boundaries. 4) Use current landforms on Earth’s surface to classify former plate boundaries. You should start by watching three videos on iCollege: Wegener and Continental Drift, Sea Floor Spreading Proof, and Plate Tectonics. The work your way through these questions, referring back to the videos as needed. Part 1: Plate Tectonics 1) In the above diagram, arrows denote the direction of movement of the crust and mantle, with numbers and letters above each boundary between plates. Name each numbered plate boundary, and what types of plates are involved. (15 pts) Name of the numbered plate boundary what types of plates are involved 1 Convergent Ocean convergence and oceanic 2 Divergent Ocean convergence and oceanic 3 Convergent Ocean convergence and oceanic 4 Divergent Continental and Continental divergence 5 Convergent Continental and Continental divergence

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 2) Name the lettered bathymetric (sea-floor) features in the figure above that are created by plate tectonics (2 pts) A: Trench B: Ridge 3) Describe in your own words the following plate boundaries. Where on Earth would you expect to find an example of each boundary? (6 pts) Convergent: when two plates move towards each other in an under/over motion. An example is the Himalaya Mountains in Central Asia. Divergent: When two plates move apart from each other. An example is the Mid-Atlantic ridge. Transform: Two plates sliding together Horizontal, creating a faults. An example is California’s San Andrea’s. 4) Name two ways oceanic crust differs from continental crust? (2 pts) The oceanic crust is much thinner and denser than the continental crust. 5) Thinking back to your igneous rock labs, what two elements might account for these differences? (2 pts) The two elements that might account for the differences between the oceanic crust and the continental crust is silicon and oxygen.

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 6) Look at the above image and answer the following questions (hint: Ma means Mega- annum, or millions of years) a. Where is the oldest oceanic crust in the Atlantic? (1 pt) Farthest from the middle of the Mid-Atlantic Range. b. Where is the youngest oceanic crust in the Atlantic? (1 pt) The middle of the Mid-Atlantic Range. c. Explain why this variation in the age of the oceanic crust exists across the Atlantic Ocean. (2 pts) It exists because of continental drifting and pushing. As well as sea floor spreading. d. The feature in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Given your responses to the above questions, is this a convergent, divergent, or transform boundary? (1 pt) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a divergent boundary.

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Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name …………………….

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. Earthquakes distribution

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Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 8) Using the above maps of volcanos and earthquakes, answer the following questions: a. Which of the following has high concentrations of volcanos? Mark all that apply. (4 pts) ___ Eastern Atlantic Ocean _yes__ Eastern Pacific Ocean _yes__ Hawaii ___ Western Atlantic Ocean _yes__ Western Pacific Ocean _yes__ Iceland b. One of the oceans in the world is referred to as the “Ring of Fire” – which might it be and why? (4 pts) The ocean that is referred to the “Ring of fire” is the Pacific ocean because all the continents that surround this ocean have experienced a lot of earthquakes, which makes the area have a red and orange hue, thus calling it the “ring of fire” c. Given your responses to the above questions, is a convergent, divergent, or transform boundary represented in locations that have volcanic activity and high concentrations of earthquakes? (2 pts) It is convergent boundaries that are represented in location that have volcanic activity and high concentrations of earthquakes.

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. Part 2: Plate Tectonics and Landforms

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 12)Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains formed during the closure of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway, a shallow sea between North America and an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. What kind of boundary is this? (2 pts) This boundary is convergent boundary.

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Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 13) Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea The Jordan Valley in the Levant is composed of the Sea of Galilee, which flows into the Jordan River, and eventually into the super salty Dead Sea. This valley is at the boundary of the African and Arabian plates. The valley is composed of sediments that have eroded into the space between the two plates, and the valley is so deep that the Dead Sea is below sea level! What kind of boundary is this? (2 pts) This boundary is a transform boundary.

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 14) The Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains in central Russia are some of the oldest mountains in the world. They are near no plate boundaries, no earthquake activity, and essentially in the middle of the Eurasian plate. Hypothesize how they formed, keep in mind from the Hawaii example in the lecture that plate movement can change over time. (4 pts) The Ural Mountains most likely formed from the collision edge of the supercontinent of Europe and America with Kazakhstania.

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 15) Lake Superior Lake Superior is an exceptionally deep lake north of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. While the other Great Lakes are much shallower and are hypothesized to be formed from retreating glaciers at the end of the ice age, scientists suspect something different for Lake Superior. It should be noted that ages of the rocks in Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula (both colored orange and green on the East side of the map) have mirrored ages in their rocks, getting older further away from each other.

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Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. Hypothesize how Lake Superior formed (4 pts) Lake superior formed by the hot mantle of the earth creating a hot spot or plume, which tore the crust apart, leaving a “scar” in the shape of an “arc”. 16) Mid Ocean Ridge You know that Mid Ocean Ridges are created from Divergent boundaries. However, you may have noticed that they only form straight lines for a while and are quite jagged. This is the result of trying to split apart curved surfaces. This implies another kind of fault is also at play here. If the crust is spreading away from each of the green lines, which other fault type/boundary is present here? (1 pt) Transform faults

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. 17) Iceland The island of Iceland in the North Atlantic is formed from a hot spot/mantle plume just the same as Hawaii. However, we don’t see an island chain, only a singular large island. Why might this be? (4 pt) Iceland is located on a spreading center.

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name …………………….

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Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. Part 3: Seismic Explorer Go to the following website to complete the final activity: https://seismic-explorer.concord.org/ Click “Map Type” and choose “Relief”. Click “Data Type” and have both “Plate Boundaries” and “Earthquakes” enabled Hit “Start” in the lower left. This will show major earthquakes over time. Answer the following questions: 1. What patterns in the locations of earthquakes do you observe? (1 pt) A lot of the earthquakes are happening on top of the boundary, like they follow the line of the boundaries. 2. Red dots are shallow earthquakes while blue dots are deeper. What areas of the world have blue dots? What plate boundaries are these? (2 pts) On the convergent boundaries do we see more blue dots than red. These places are the western part of south america, te south-western part of Asia, and eastern part of Asia. Click “Draw Cross Section” in the lower right. Draw a cross section with it covering part of western South America with both red and blue dots, going from red (P1) to blue (P2). Then click “Open 3D View” in the lower right. 3. Describe the relationship (trend) between depth of earthquakes and distance from plate boundary. (1 pt) When further from the plate boundary does the earthquake get higher in depth. Close the 3D view and cancel cross section drawing. In “Data Type” enable “Plate Movement” and “Plate Names” and disable “Earthquakes”. Each “i” if clicked on will show the speed of movement and boundary name (e.g., “COC-NAZ”). 4. Click around these “i”’s. Which plate boundary in the Pacific Ocean is moving the fastest? (2 pts)

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. Plate Boundary 6, PAC-COC 5. Even this fast plate above doesn’t have uniform speed or direction across all its boundaries. Hypothesize why below. Keep in mind all plates are moving independently of each other and all speeds are relative to the opposing plate. (2 pts) Its probably because it rotates in different direction then the other plates. Part 4: Summary Fill in the below chart to summarize your understanding of characteristics at different plate boundaries. (10 pts) TYPE DESCRIBE MOVEMENT CRUST Created? Destroyed? Neither? EARTHQUAKES? Shallow? and/or Deep? TYPE OF VOLCANISM? Rifting? Volcanos? WHERE IN WORLD? (EXAMPLES) Divergent two plates move apart from each other Creates Shallow Rifting Mid-Atlantic ridge Destroyed Deep Composite volcanos

Lab 7 – Plate tectonics GEOL 1121 Name ……………………. Convergent (Subduction) Under/Over Pacific Northwest Transform Horizontal sliding that causes faults Neither Shallow None California’s San Andrea’s

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