Stresses cause rocks to deform; earthquakes occur as the rock can no longer deform and ruptures.
a. True
b. False
Question 2Long fault lines spread out stress and produce smaller earthquakes than short ones.
a. True
b. False
Question 3Why is an understanding of Earths magnetic field important in the acceptance of the theory of plate tectonics?
What will be an ideal response?
Question 4Discuss the source and interaction of basalt and rhyolite.
What will be an ideal response?
Question 5The theories of continental drift and plate tectonics rely on many pieces of physical evidence. Identify and explain three observations that led to the acceptance of the theory of plate tectonics.
What will be an ideal response?
Question 6The major islands of the state of Hawaii are formed from a line of separate volcanoes emerging from the ocean floor of the Pacific Plate. The line extends from Kauai in the northwest, to Hawaii in the southeast over a range of hundreds of miles. Kauai was formed from volcanoes that formed about 5 million years ago; on Hawaii the volcanoes are currently active.
Explain the process that formed the Hawaiian Islands and what information a geophysicist could determine about the motion of Earths parts from observing them.
What will be an ideal response?
Question 7Describe the three types of plate boundaries and the motions that lead to them.
What will be an ideal response?