Post on 06-Jan-2018
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Physical Science
Question: How can magnetism of rocks provide evidence of
continents moving?
Wednesday
Connecting the rube to the physics assignmentAnd Answers to 10 class questions
Rube Check
continental drift evidence
Plate Tectonics
Homework assignment• Use the internet and book to find descriptions of the
following concepts:
Pangaea Divergent boundaryPanthalassa Convergent BoundaryContinental drift Rift ValleyMesosaurus Subduction ZoneMid-Atlantic Ridge Ocean TrenchMagma Transform BoundarySea-floor spreadingPaleomagnetism
What evidence is there that the continents have moved in the
past?In other words, what evidence is used to support the continental
drift theory
Evidence1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Evidence1) Physical shape of continents
2) Rock evidence of change in climate
3) Fossil evidence, including Mesosaurus
4) Difference in ages of oceanic crust vs continental crust
5) Paleomagnetism of rock on either side of the Mid Atlantic ridge
Alfred Wegener
Determining the magnetic orientation of ocean rock
In the 1950’s and 1960’s….
• Used Sonar (invented during WWII) to map the Ocean Floor
To Produce underwater maps for Submarines
Found that there was a huge ridge of mountains in the middle of the Atlantic ocean
Have found many examples since
• Of these mid Oceanic ridges around the world
• Volcanically active (but not wholly destructive)
• Ocean floor is not smooth as once thought
Paleomagnetism
• Study of the Earth’s magnetic record over time
• Minerals in hot rocks do not have a set magnetic direction
• As it cools, the magnetic orientation of those minerals becomes fixed pointing in the direction of the “North Pole”
This magnetic orientation can and has be measured
What is magnetic orientation?
Means the direction that the rock makes a compass point as it passes over
What has been discovered…
Discovered bands of rock with different magnetic orientation as the ship moves away from ridge
• Evidence that the orientation reverses every 200,000 to several million years
• Matched bands with the same magnetic orientation are found on both sides of a ridge
Orientation of rocks around a ridge
Different colors represent rocks of different geologic age
Iceland on a diverging plate boundary
Who wants to act?
What is the best explanation for the matched bands of rock?
• New ocean floor is being produced from the ridge
• Older material material is pushed away from ridge by newer material
• This in turn moves the continents apart
Mid ocean Ridges
• Are the place of creation of new plate material
• Boundary between plates
• As plates are created items on the plates are moved farther away from the ridge
• Divergent boundary
Sea-floor Spreading
• Driven by the introduction of new material at the ridges, the older sea floor is pushed away from the ridges.
• The oldest ocean rock is farthest away from the ridges
• The coldest and most dense rock is farthest away from the ridges
If new crust material is being created…
Old material must be destroyed because the surface area of the
earth is not increasing
Where do plates come together?
• Convergent boundary
• Subduction zones
• Most have a lot of volcanic and earthquake activity associated with their interaction
What happens at a subduction zone?
• The density of material coming together determines what happens
• The most dense material is pushed under the least dense material
Variations in Convergent boundaries
Ocean to continental crust
Continental to continental
Ocean to Ocean crust
Oceanic meets Continental crust
The west Coast of the US around Seattle and Portland
West Coast
Ocean-vs-Continent
• More dense ocean crust is push beneath Continental crust
When it is pushed deep enough it begins to melt
The melted material is pushed upward, supplies material for volcanos
Magma and Lava
• Magma
• Lava
Continental material meets other continental material
The mountains between India and China
Subduction zone –The Himalayas
Continent –vs-Continent
• Nothing is pushed down much, similar density
• Build Mountains
• Keep building as long as pushing occurs
• No volcanos
Ocean-vs-Ocean
• All based on age of rock, the oldest material is pushed under
• Creates volcanic islands, or island ars
Subduction zone - Japan
One final type of boundary interaction
TRANSFORM BOUNDARY
Southern California
• San Andreas Fault
Transform
• Moves past each other
• Not creating or destroying material
• Earthquakes
Plate Tectonics
• Describes continental movement
• Describes why and how continents move
Plates and Continents
Pangaea and Panthalassa