The Stone Sphere
This plate boundary is destructive
Convergent plate boundary
What do we call a seamount that rises above sea level?
A Volcanic Island
How do oceans form?
Divergent plate boundaries
What is the Ring of Fire
A ring of volcanoes and earthquakes around the Pacific ocean.
This plate boundary is constructive
Divergent plate boundary
Why are there only active volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii, and not the other islands?
Big Island of Hawaii still sits over the Hot Spot.
Pillow lava formations are commonly found at seamounts but rarely on land-based volcanoes. Analyze why this difference occurs and what it reveals about the eruption environment.
Rapid cooling by seawater causes lava to form rounded, pillow-like structures
What kind of plate boundary is accociated with earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis
Subduction/convergent plate boundaries.
What layer of Earth do tectonic plates float on?
The asthenosphere
A geologist discovers a chain of underwater mountains in the Pacific Ocean, with the youngest volcano still actively erupting and the oldest completely extinct. Based on the hotspot theory, what can be concluded about the formation of this chain?
The tectonic plate moved over a stationary hotspot, creating volcanoes in sequence.
Oceanic crust has many cracks and weak areas that allow magma to break through easily. Predict what would happen if a hotspot developed beneath thick continental crust instead of thin oceanic crust.
Magma would have more difficulty reaching the surface, potentially creating different volcanic features
Name 3 characteristics of convergent plate boundaries.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic arcs.
Describe the energy transfer process that drives continental movement?
Mantle convection
A marine scientist discovers a location where new oceanic crust is continuously forming and spreading outward. Based on the characteristics of plate boundaries, what type of boundary is this most likely to be?
Divergent plate boundary.
Predict what will happen to the Big Island of Hawaii over the next 10 million years based on the hotspot model.
It will become dormant and a new island will begin to form over the hot spot.
What process formed the Andes Mountains?
Subduction of the Nasca plate under the South American plate.
Why can the continental crust "float" on the mantle?
The continental crust is less dense than the underlying mantle material, allowing it to achieve isostatic equilibrium
A student observes that Earth's ocean basins are not getting larger over time, even though new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges. What process best explains this observation?
Plates are being recycled (subduction) at the same rate as new plate is being created.
What evidence from the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain supports the Hot Spot model of island formation?
The age of the islands and the under water segment of the Emporor Seamount chain.
Wherer are 80% of the worlds volcanoes and earthquakes found?
The Pacific Ring of Fire.