Assignment 1 - EESB18

.docx

School

University of Toronto, Scarborough *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

B18

Subject

Geology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by sindhuhu

Assignment 1 Earth Science and Geosystems: Exploration in Google Earth™ Question 1: Part A: Based on my knowledge of plate tectonics and seafloor spreading, I would expect the Galapagos Islands to be perpetually moving towards the right which would be an eastwards motion. This is due to the Galapagos Islands being located on an oceanic plate (the Nazca plate) which is moving eastwards from the mid-oceanic ridge between Nazca and Pacific plate. The oceanic plate that Galapagos Islands sit on, is being subducted under the continental plate to its right. Part B: The bathymetry map overlay shows the depth of the ocean basins below sea level in meters. The lighter a spot on the map, the shallower the depth of the ocean basin. The ocean basins are typically at a lower elevation than the continents because the oceanic crust is denser and thinner compared to the continental crust which is thicker and lighter. Near the continents, the oceanic plates subject underneath the continental plate. The areas that are lighter may have some mountain building forming where subduction is happening underneath. Point A in the bathymetry folder is a lot lighter because its very shallow and this is because of the North American plate’s continental part at point A shifting from an oceanic crust. Point B has almost no white area because it’s deep (closer towards and beyond 8000m). This is because it’s a subduction zone where the oceanic plate is subducting under the continental. At both point D and E, because of 2 oceanic plates moving away from each other, magma rises from the mantle to the surface creating new oceanic crust which could explain the shallow depths. Question 2: Part A Answer is option A.  Both point B ’s are massive subduction zones in current geologic times. Both points used to be on the outskirts of Pangea.  Both point C ’s were attached to the North American plate although there is Atlantic ocean between point C’s and the north American plate now.

 Both point D’s used to be together and were both part of Gondawana Land. Madagascar was a part of India although now Madagascar is an Island floating away.  Although Antarctica’s plate has moved over geologic times, Chile is still next to Argentina and Bolivia. Both point E ’s are relatively in the same position that they were when Pangea was together. Part B Option B: Zagros Mountains are the most closely related to the Appalachian Mountains geologically. This is because they both formed due to convergent boundaries between two continental plates. Part C Option C : The placemark D on the bathymetric folder is pointing to a mid-oceanic ridge. This is along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that exists in the Atlantic ocean. Part D Option B : The placemark C is the oldest oceanic crust material out of the 5 points in the bathymetric folder. This is because it’s the farthest oceanic crust from the mid-oceanic ridge. Question 3: Part A Option A : It’s a convergent boundary as the oceanic Nazca plate is subducting under the South American plate. Part B Option B : The volcanoes are found along the convergent boundary between the South American plate and the Scotia Plate. The South American plate is subducting under the Scotia plate in the east and a transform boundary also exists between the plates (but not the cause of formation of the volcanoes). Part C

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help