Earth's Interior
Theory of Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics and Landforms
Earthquakes
100
What states of matter can Primary waves and Secondary waves move through?
P waves move through solids, liquids, and gases.
S waves move through solids only.
100
What was the name of the scientist who came up with the hypothesis of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
100
Seafloor spreading and continental drift are believed to be caused by
a. tides
b. convection currents in the mantle
c. changes in Earth's magnetic field
d. shrinkage of the crust as the Earth cools
b. convection currents in the mantle
100
Describe a tectonic plate boundary
Where two or more plates meet
200
Use the diagram to label the Earth's layers.
IMAGE ON GOOGLE SLIDES
Top to bottom:
Crust
Mantle
Outer Core
Inner Core
200
T or F: Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift was immediately accepted by other scientists at the time, and was seen as a groundbreaking discovery
False! Scientists in his time dismissed Wegener's idea
200
Describe the movement of the tectonic plates at convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries
Convergent = plates colliding
Divergent = plates pulling apart or "dividing"
Transform = plates sliding past each other in opposite directions
200
How do tsunamis form?
Tsunamis form due to earthquakes under the ocean which cause a large displacement of water. This creates giant waves that can be taller than 100 ft
300
How do scientists know the properties of the Earth's interior such as density and type of matter if they are not able to dig all the way through the crust?
Scientists study seismic waves to learn about the layers of the Earth.
300
List two pieces of evidence for continental drift
The shapes of the continents (puzzle pieces)
Rock and fossil records
Climatic evidence (coal deposits & glacier evidence in warm areas)
300
Describe the types of stress that occurs with compression, tension, and shear stress
Compression is when plates are squeezed and shortened
Tension is when plates are stretched and pulled apart
Shear stress is when the plates become twisted and distorted as they move past one another
300
At what point is the earthquake's FOCUS POINT?
Focus is at point A
400
What is the name of the solid, thin layer of the mantle below the lithosphere that the tectonic plates lay on top of?
The asthenosphere
400
Which are MORE dense, oceanic plates or continental plates?
Oceanic plates are denser, causing them to subduct under continental plates
400
At which type of plate boundary do fault-block mountains, rifts, and mid-ocean ridges form?
Divergent plate boundaries
400
How does the distance from an earthquakes epicenter change the earthquake's effects?
The strongest effects are usually felt near the epicenter
500
Which of the following processes generated heat during Earth's formation that is still a source of heat in Earth's interior?
a. solar radiation
b. seismic waves
c. radioactive decay
d. the greenhouse effect
c. radioactive decay
500
What can tracking the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes tell scientists about tectonic plates?
Since earthquakes and volcanoes commonly occur near plate boundaries, this can tell us the locations of plate boundaries.
500
Describe the formation of an island chain
As magma rises up from within the Earth, it cools in the ocean to create new rock. This rock builds up to create an island. As the tectonic plates move and the hot spot remains, new islands are created which forms an island chain.
500
Which of the following events can produce an earthquake?
a. the crash of tsunamis against a shoreline
b. movement of tectonic plates along a boundary
c. convection of hot rock deep within the mantle
d. the violent shaking of sections of the lithosphere
B. movement of tectonic plates along a boundary