Earthquakes and Volcanoes Week 1 Reading
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Eastern Kentucky University *
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750
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Geology
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Uploaded by GeneralIce13586
Week 1 Reading / Questions (50 points)
In Essentials of Geology
(13
th
Edition), read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer the following questions:
1.
List at least three different geologic hazards. Aside from geologic hazards, describe another important connection between people and geology.
Three different geologic hazards are volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. An important connection between people and geology is that humans contribute to global warming.
2.
Compare and contrast catastrophism and uniformitarianism.
The difference between catastrophism and uniformitarianism is that catastrophism is the concept that short term catastrophic events dramatically reshape the Earth’s surface. While uniformitarianism is the concept that the geological features of Earth were created in slow incremental changes such as erosion.
3.
How old is the Earth?
Earth is 4.6 billion years old 4.
List and briefly describe the four spheres that constitute the Earth System.
Hydrosphere: All the waters on the Earth’s surface
Atmosphere: The gaseous portion of our planet
Biosphere: All life on Earth
Geosphere: The solid part of Earth meaning the crust and upper mantle
5.
List and describe the three major layers defined by their chemical composition.
Core: Iron + Nickel
Mantle: High density rock
Crust: Low density rock
6.
Compare and contrast the lithosphere and asthenosphere.
The lithosphere is the outermost mechanical layer which behaves as brittle, rigid solid and the asthenosphere is solid upper mantle material that is so hot that is behaves plastically and can flow.
7.
Compare and contrast continents and ocean basins.
Continents have a higher density than ocean basins and they are also different in composition and elevation.
8.
Name the three major regions of the ocean floor. What are some features associated with each?
Continental Margin: The portion of the seafloor that is adjacent to major landmass
Deep-Ocean Basin: Between the continental margins and oceanic ridges
Oceanic Ridges: The most prominent feature on the ocean floor
9.
List the seven largest lithospheric plates.
North American, Pacific, Antarctic, African, Eurasian, Australian, and South American 10.
List the three types of plate boundaries and describe the relative motion along each.
Divergent: Two plates move apart, upwelling of hot material from the mantle to create new seafloor
Convergent: Two plates move together resulting in oceanic lithosphere descending beneath an overriding plate
Transform: Two plates grind past each other without producing or destroying lithosphere
11.
Explain why the rate of lithosphere production is roughly equal to the rate of lithosphere destruction.
This is because new lithosphere is constantly being produced at the oceanic ridges
12.
Why does oceanic lithosphere subduct, while continental lithosphere does not?
Oceanic lithosphere subducts because its overall density is greater than that of the underlying mantle
13.
What distinguishes a continental volcanic arc from a volcanic island arc?
A continental volcanic arc is formed by subduction of an ocean plate beneath a continental plate.
A volcanic island arc is formed when two oceanic plates converge and form a subduction zone.
14.
Briefly describe how mountain belts such as the Himalayas form.
As two continental plates collide, the crust buckles and fractures. This leads to the uplift of major
mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.
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