Mantle Convection
What is the main source of energy that drives mantle convection?
Heat from the Earth's core.
Which boundary type is most associated with earthquakes but little volcanic activity?
Transform
What landform is created at divergent boundaries in oceans?
Mid-ocean ridge
What two processes are required to turn sediment into sedimentary rock?
compaction and cementation
What gas released during volcanic eruptions contributes to warming of Earth’s atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide
If mantle convection slowed down, what would happen to plate tectonic activity?
It would slow down or stop
At which type of boundary do plates move apart and new crust forms?
Divergent
What forms when two continental plates collide?
Mountain ranges
What condition must exist for a rock to become metamorphic instead of melting into magma?
heat and pressure without melting
Which Earth system is directly affected when lava creates new land?
Geosphere
How does cooling at the surface affect mantle convection currents?
It causes material to sink
If data shows deep earthquakes increasing in depth inland from a trench, what boundary is present?
Convergent (subduction zone)
What landform forms when one plate subducts beneath another?
trench
Two regions are compared:
Which region will experience faster soil formation, and why?
Region B because higher temperatures and water increase weathering and biological activity
A volcanic eruption releases ash that blocks sunlight for several months.
What happens to global temperatures?
decrease
What happens to mantle material as it rises toward the lithosphere?
It cools and spreads outward
What pattern would you expect when mapping global volcano locations?
Clusters along plate boundaries (especially ring of fire)
What topographic feature forms from volcanic island arcs or hot spots?
chain of islands
Tectonic uplift and heavy rainfall occur in the same region.
What happens to sediment production?
it increases
Volcanic ash covers farmland, killing crops but later improving soil fertility.
What property of volcanic material allows this long-term benefit?
mineral richness
How do convection currents directly cause plate movement?
They drag plates along the surface
Scientists map earthquake depths in a region:
What process is causing this pattern?
subduction of one plate under another
What type of plate movement results in the greatest increase in elevation on land?
continental-continental collision
Water seeps into cracks, freezes, and expands, breaking the rock apart.
What specific type of weathering is occurring?
ice/frost wedging (type of mechanical)
After a major eruption, global temperatures drop, leading to reduced plant growth and food shortages.
What type of chain reaction is occurring?
cascade effect (or chain reaction)