Colorado Sea Floor & Plate Tectonics Geology Essay Help

Sea Floor

Plate Tectonics

View:
Spreading Ridge Videos (all of the videos!)
Geysers and Hotsprings
Magmatic Activity (Yellowstone Hot Spot Track)
Caldera Forming Eruptions

Note 1: Answers to “short-answer” questions should be no longer than a few sentences.
Note 2: As per instructions (“How to Turn In Assignments”)– make sure that you copy this assignment into a MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT, and place your answers below each question…. save it on your computer, and then UPLOAD the assignment using the “SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT” button!

  1. What kind of igneous rock is produced at a spreading ridge—basalt, or rhyolite, or andesite?
  2. How does the amount (i.e. volume of magma per year) of igneous rock production at the world’s mid-ocean spreading ridges compare to the amount of magma produced by land volcanoes— much more at mid-ocean ridges, or much less at mid-ocean ridges?
    Pick one of the above, AND EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.
  3. In a black smoker environment, where does the water come from that we see flowing out of the “chimney” structure— Is the water coming from the surrounding seawater, or is the water coming up from earth’s mantle? (Pick one AND EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.)
  4. Why are the magnetic lineations identical on either side of the mid-ocean ridge
  5. What magnitude earthquakes are typical of mid-ocean ridge; high (6 or greater) or low (5 or less).
  6. In the Spreading Ridge Video “Iceland”—we see that the mid-ocean ridge is off-set. The off-set is a result of what kind of fault? Choose one of the following.
    1. thrust fault (subduction zone)
    2. transform fault
    3. rotational fault
    4. normal fault
  7. Watch the video on how a geyser works.
    How does the boiling temperature of water change with pressure? In other words, does high pressure result in a higher or lower boiling point?
  8. Watch the video titled “Magmatic Activity”
    At the end of this video, hit pause, and notice that Yellowstone Hot spot eruptions go back to about 16 million years ago. Using the map provided (and the rough approximate scale bar), calculate a plate velocity for the North American Plate, moving over the Yellowstone Hot Spot.
    First, figure out how many kilometers the hot spot moved in 16 million years

    Second, use the fact that velocity is just distance over time, e.g. miles per hour.
    Give the plate velocity…
    1st– in kilometers per year
    and then
    2nd — in centimeters per year (FYI–there are 100,000 centimeters in one kilometer).

  9. Watch the video titled “Caldera Forming Eruptions.” Based on this video (and, if you like, a look at online resources or the textbook chapter on volcanic rocks)— what are the various dangers associated with caldera forming eruptions?
  10. Read the section of the chapter on Plate Tectonics, called “What Causes Plate Motion”. Learn about all the various proposed mechanisms (for EXAM 1) that cause plates to move.

Answer the following question– What is the primary force that generates “ridge push”??
a) gravity; b) convection in underlying asthenosphere; c) tidal energy; d) increased density as plate descends

 
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