Internal Dynamics & Density
This deepest layer of the Earth is composed of solid iron and nickel.
What is the Inner Core?
This type of boundary involves plates sliding past each other without creating or destroying crust.
What is a Transform boundary?
When one plate sinks beneath another, this process is occurring.
What is Subduction?
This is the main surface feature of a divergent boundary in the middle of an ocean.
What is a Mid-Ocean Ridge?
The movement of hot material rising and cool material sinking is the definition of this heat transfer process.
What is Convection?
Name the Earth layer where thermal convection is the primary driver of the plates above it.
What is the Mantle (or Asthenosphere)?
The San Andreas Fault is an example of this large, linear feature formed by horizontal plate movement.
What is a Transform Fault?
This is the primary surface feature created where an oceanic plate begins to sink beneath another plate.
What is an Ocean Trench?
This large island nation is a land-based example of a mid-ocean ridge.
What is Iceland?
Unlike S-waves, these seismic waves can travel through the liquid layers of the Earth.
What are P-waves?
If a layer is warmer than the surrounding material in the mantle, it will have a lower density and must move in this direction.
What is Up (it rises)?
Identify the type of movement that causes the earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault.
What is Side-to-side (or lateral / strike-slip)?
Describe the density relationship that determines which plate will sink when an oceanic plate meets a continental plate.
What is: The denser oceanic plate sinks beneath the less dense continental plate?
This process, where hot, less dense magma rises and cools, is responsible for forming new oceanic crust at a divergent boundary.
What is Sea-Floor Spreading?
Name a location formed by a mantle plume that is not on a plate boundary.
What is Hawaii?
Explain why the Outer Core prevents S-waves from passing through, but the Inner Core does not.
What is: The Outer Core is liquid (S-waves cannot pass through), but the Inner Core is solid?
Tectonic activity along a transform boundary rarely results in this specific large ocean wave because there is little vertical motion.
What is a Tsunami?
A collision between two continental plates is often illustrated by this diagram type, showing the land pushing upward to form mountains.
What is Block Diagram 3 (or a diagram showing uplift/crustal thickening)?
Explain the significance of iron-rich basalt in the rifting process, based on its density.
What is: The heavy (dense) basalt sinks, which causes the lithosphere to flex and fracture, furthering the rifting process?
Describe how convection in the mantle causes the plates to converge above it.
What is: Cooler, denser mantle material sinks, which drags the overlying plates downward (Slab Pull) and toward each other?
Arrange the following layers from least dense to most dense: Asthenosphere, Inner Core, Continental Crust, Outer Core.
What is: Continental Crust --> Asthenosphere --> Outer Core --> Inner Core?
Explain why a transform boundary is considered conservative, rather than constructive or destructive.
What is: It is conservative because crust is neither created (like divergent) nor destroyed (like convergent)?
When two oceanic plates meet, which one subducts, and why?
What is: The older, colder oceanic plate subducts because it is denser?
If a segment of ocean floor formed 5 million years ago is now 100 km away from the mid-ocean ridge, what is the average rate of its spreading away from the ridge over that time?
What is 20 km/million years(100km/5 million years)?
A scientist observes a deep section of ocean crust with abnormally heavy, iron-rich deposits. This is geological evidence suggesting the area may have undergone what continental process in the past?
What is Rifting (or the beginning of a Mid-Continent Ridge formation)?