HW_Tectonics using Google Earth
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Dec 6, 2023
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EES 0836
Tectonics using Google Earth
Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood
Introduction
Using the knowledge you learned from this week's lecture, you will learn the basics of plate tectonics,
including locations of the plate boundaries, distribution of earthquakes, and bathymetry (ocean depth) and
topography. This activity uses Google Earth, with overlays created by various members of the scientific
community, and information from the USGS website, including seismic data and maps.
Learning Objective
●
Describe the location of plate boundaries using Google Earth and NOAA imagery.
(3, 5, c)
●
Explain and apply the processes learned from lecture using images collected from Google Earth.
(3, 5, b, d)
Figure 1: Atlantic Ocean
Shown is the mid-Atlantic
Ocean region of the globe. The
seafloor is shown, with dark
blues representing deeper ocean
water, and light blue
representing shallow ocean
water. If you look closely, you
can see a few orange dots
representing earthquakes.
Figure 1 Questions
1.
Where is the active
plate boundary located
that separates the North
American and
Eurasian/African plates?
The boundary that separates the North American and Eurasian/ African plates is the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge. It is the green and red line shown in the imagine, going through the ocean.
2.
Does your location of the active plate boundary support the idea that spreading has been
relatively consistent (meaning is it symmetrical)? Explain your thinking.
No, the spreading does not always occur symmetrically. Otherwise, the eastern and western sides
of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge would have been equally separated.
3.
Explain why you think the depth of the water shallows in this area.
The Mid-Atlantic ridge raises the ocean floor in this region, making the water shallower.
4.
Where would you expect that most earthquakes occur in the Atlantic Ocean?
I think that the most earthquakes happen in the middle section, along the transform faults. The
Romanche fracture zone is the where most earthquakes would occur.
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Figure 2: Atlantic Ocean
The age of the seafloor is shown for
the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Young/recent
seafloor ages are shown by warm
colors (orange and red) and old
seafloor ages are shown by cool colors
(green).
Figure 2 Questions
1.
Describe how the seafloor age
changes as you go from the
plate boundary toward the
east coast of North America.
The sea floor gradually
becomes younger as you
move from the east coast of
South America toward the
plate boundary because you
are getting closer to where the plates are generated and the younger and newer the plate is.
2.
Is the crust being created or destroyed at this plate boundary? Is this plate boundary divergent,
convergent, or transform? Explain your answer.
the crust is being created at this plate boundary, as it is divergent plate. When a tectonic plate
moves away from each other when new crust arises which makes it Divergent plate.
3.
Do you support the concept that at one point these continents were together? Explain your
answer.
I do support it because there have been have been evidence proving the concept, the same types
of fossils have been found on the shore of different continents.
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Figure 3: Aleutian Islands
The seafloor along the Aleutian Islands is shown with dark blues representing deeper ocean water and
light blue representing shallow ocean water. The plate boundary is shown as a light blue line.
Figure 3 Questions
1.
Describe what happens to ocean depth from one side of the plate boundary to the other.
On one side of the plate boundary in the Aleutian Islands, the ocean is deeper, and on the other, it
is shallower. In order to create deeper ocean trenches on one side and shallower waters on the
other, the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate.
2.
Why do you think north of the plate boundary it starts deep (relative to south of the boundary)
and then shallows quickly? Explain your thinking.
One tectonic plate is sliding under another in the Aleutian Islands, creating a deep trench to the
south of the plate boundary. The formation of volcanic islands causes the ocean to rapidly
become shallower as volcanic material accumulates.
3.
What type of plate boundary do you think this is?
I think it is Convergent plate boundary.
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EES 0836
Figure 4: South America
Map of the seafloor, plate boundary, and earthquake data located just west of southern Chile, with dark
blues representing deeper ocean water, and light blue representing shallow ocean water. Also, the plate
boundary is present with seismic data only on one side of the plate.
Figure 4 Questions
1.
Compare and contrast the distribution and depth of the earthquakes in this image with those from
Figure 1.
Compared to Figure 1, this image shows more earthquakes. The earthquakes in Figure 1 primarily
occurred in the middle of the ocean rather than on land.
2.
Describe what you can tell about the depth of the earthquakes as you move from west to east.
As they move away from the coast, the depth intensifies.
3.
What is happening to the crust at this location? Is it being destroyed or created?
It is being created
4.
What other hazard would you expect to see at this type of boundary?
Tsunami may occur due to the location.
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5.
Figure 5: Magma: Volcanic Disaster (2006)
A volcanologist and his graduate student believe a cataclysmic volcanic disaster is about to unfold. They
need to convince the government that their theory is not a joke and should be listened to. In this screen
grab, you can see that the professor is using a map to illustrate his point.
Figure 5 Questions
1.
What is the map that he is gesturing to actually referring to? Does this map look like any of the
other images in this activity?
the image on right shows the ring of fire where the volcano are more active and referring to the
heat of the area of the volcano. This map isn’t similar to the other image in this active but it is
relevant.
2.
Do you think this map is connected to his hypothesis in any way? Explain.
Yes, he believes a volcanic disaster is about to occur because there is a significant area of red,
which stands for heat.
3.
In your opinion, do you think Hollywood has a responsibility to portray scientific information
accurately? Do you think Hollywood contributes to the spread of misinformation?
I believe Hollywood has a responsibility to represent scientific information truthfully given how
influential pop culture is. Misinformation is spread through television and film, which invalidates real-
world data discovered by experts.