Elimination Round
Where is the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt located?
Quebec, Canada
How old is the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt estimated to be?
Between 3.8 and 4.3 billion years old
What are the three main types of rock?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
What type of rock is the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt made of today?
Metamorphic rock
What two processes help explain how rocks can move deep underground and then return to the surface?
Subduction and uplift
What causes plate motion on Earth?
Energy inside Earth
What happens to rocks when they are exposed to heat and pressure but not melted?
They become metamorphic rock
How can uplift expose rock formations to weathering and erosion?
Uplift pushes rock to the surface, where it’s exposed to weathering and erosion
Why do scientists believe the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt was once located near a plate boundary?
Because it was made of igneous and sedimentary rock, which typically form near plate boundaries
Explain how subduction leads to rock transformations.
Subduction pushes rock deep underground, where heat and pressure transform it into metamorphic rock
What evidence suggests the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt has stayed together for billions of years?
The rock formations have remained as a single group since they formed
Describe the sequence of transformations the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt went through from formation to its current state.
Started as igneous and sedimentary rock → subducted → exposed to heat/pressure → became metamorphic rock → uplifted back to surface
How do plate tectonics contribute to the formation of metamorphic rocks in belts like Nuvvuagittuq?
Plate movement causes subduction and uplift, which leads to the heat and pressure necessary to form metamorphic rock
If the rocks were transformed into metamorphic rock 2.7 billion years ago, what might that suggest about tectonic activity during that time?
It suggests there was active plate tectonics and subduction happening at that time
How could scientists determine whether the rocks were originally sedimentary or igneous, despite being metamorphic now?
By analyzing the mineral composition and structures preserved during metamorphism
What challenges might geologists face when studying rock formations that have undergone multiple transformations over billions of years?
Rock features can be erased or altered, making it hard to trace their original type and history