PHY111: Summer 201253

1. PHY111: Summer 201253 Lesson 15: Earth Science Tie-ins Plate Tectonics Plate Boundaries Continental Drift 1/9

2. INTRO TO EARTH SCIENCE!Notes: Evidence for Plate Tectonics Here is some of the evidence in support of Plate Tectonics: • Puzzle-Piece globe (especially with continental shelves considered) • Species and fossils on different continents that match where “puzzle-piece globe” would have lined up • Rocks (by age and type) appearing on would-be-paired continents • Mineral deposits (e.g., coal or salt mines) cut along continent edges • Ancient mountain chains on different continents (once together) • Glacial “etching” along different continents as if they were once together • Glacial deposits along equator (too hot for glaciers!) • Coral reefs in Antarctica (too cold for that type of ecosystem!) • Earth has a magnetic field (hints at convection to drive tectonics) • Multiple types of “boundary phenomena” (earthquakes, volcanoes, &tc) Before you read: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrXAGY1dmE Answering the question, “What IS Plate Tectonics”? 2/9

3. Notes: Plate Boundaries LAND – LAND OCEAN – LAND OCEAN – OCEAN CONVERGING DIVERGING TRANSFORM • Concentrate on the major types of plate boundaries that occur between the different sections of the lithosphere (both oceanic crust and continental crust). • I am assigning a powerpoint (link provided below) as “homework” to review, since it provides much better pictures than the ones I would draw. http://mrlafazia.com/studentaccess/Plate_Tectonics_UofBristol_LaFaziaModified.ppt 3/9

4. WebQuest: Alfred Wegener Answer the questions on the following slide. You exploration throughout this WebQuest will allow you to uncover many important facts regarding Plate Tectonics and the Theory of Continental Drift! NOTE: This does not get turned in. These are study questions which will help you explore more about Plate Tectonics and the TofCD. If you get stumped on a question, let me know and I will give you a hint to help your studying! 4/9

5. WebQuest: Alfred Wegener 1) Who was Alfred Wegener? 2) What prompted him to consider the hypothesis of continental drift? 3) What was his hypothesis of continental drift? 4) About how long ago did Pangaea exist? 5) What evidence did he use to support his ideas? You should be able to find 4 or 5 different evidences that he used. 6) What was the reaction when he presented his hypothesis to the scientific community? 7) What was the aspect of the Continental Drift Hypothesis that Wegener couldn’t explain? (This thing that couldn’t be explained lead other scientists to disbelieve Wegener’s hypothesis). 8) When and how did Wegener die? When did the Theory of Plate Tectonics become an assumed truth? 9) What new evidence was discovered in the 1950’s that lead scientists to re-think Wegener’s hypothesis, and eventually accept his ideas? (Hint: the ideas weren’t accepted until the 60’s). 10) What was the technology that lead to this discovery? (Hint: think Navy). 11) What is now the accepted theory for the “thing” that Wegener couldn’t explain? 12) Was Pangaea the “beginning” of the continents on our planet? (Hint: supercontinent cycle). 13) What is paleomagnetism, and how does it help support the idea of sea floor spreading? 5/9

6. Poem: Continental Drift, by D. LaFazia The continents move all the time, And are never truly still. We feel and see their movement all the time, When earthquakes rage and higher grows hill, And the old volcanoes blow their tops, And the cracks of doom pour forth their smoke, And the Earth does crack and groan. Continental Drift reveals the rift, Between land and land, And sea and land, And even sea and sea. When land plates converge, There will emerge, A mountain of some form. The thick plates rise up, And push and bend, And fold upon themselves, Upended, lifted; glorified struggle. At times land plates will diverge, But don't sing a dirge, For new land is being formed there. Where land and ocean meet, They do compete, If they are coming back together. The ocean loses when they lock horns. The crust subducts and melts; Volcanoes are formed. At times we see that land crust Butts up against its denser cousin. Oceanic crust and land may transform the coastline, By moving past (it's a blast) very fast; In a short time, then locking in again. Stresses cause a slip-strike to release, It's pent-up elastic potential energy, As King Kinetic causes destruction and confusion. Ah, that California coastline (to name one). Another common tectonic play, Shows two ocean plates running away From each other, diverging slowly, Where mid-ocean ridges are formed and growing. This story really has no end, And the beginning is not always clear. But one thing's for sure, tho' we won't live to see, Pangaea isn't the first and won't be the last Supercontinent formed on this Earth...another's yet to be. 6/9

7. Lab 12: GoogleMaps • Go to maps.google.com and choose the “satellite” view. Using your internet resources as references, find where the Hawaiian hot spot is, where the San Andreas fault line is, and where the Mid-Atlantic midocean ridge is. (In the process, you will need to define those 3 terms and include them in your report). • Analysis Questions: • “In which direction is the tectonic plate on which Hawaii is situated likely moving”? • “Of what significance is the San Andreas fault line”? • “How far South and North does the Mid-Atlantic Ridge extend”? • “What is the Ring of Fire”? • “If new crust is forming at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, why isn’t the Earth getting bigger”? • “What is meant by the Super-Continent Cycle”? 7/9

8. Grades/Assignments: Read Sections 6.1-6.5; 6.7-6.11. Turn in Lab 12 on or by Wednesday’s class. 8/9

9. Looking Ahead: Lesson 16 will be our last face-to-face lesson, where we will complete the Tie-ins with a session on Space Science. If you are able to, install GravitySimulator.com’s simulator program on your laptop and bring it with you to class. It’s a free program, and is easy to install. Lesson 17 (our final class) will be the administration of Test III (last assessment!). 9/9