Module 5 Student_mod_SU22-1!!

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Dec 6, 2023

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Asynchronous Plate Tectonics Activities developed for Teach the Earth Module 5: Applications for Tectonic Hazards Student Worksheet Introduction As we have learned so far in this lab, the plate tectonic theory is a global process that operates on long time scales to move continents, generate mountain and island chains, and widen oceans. In this last module we are going to look at the implications of plate tectonics on human life both past and present. In Part One you will be doing some detective work to solve the mystery of what plate motion could have be responsible for historical accounts of destruction of human settlements. As plates either subduct or grind past each other in a transform boundary, earthquakes occur. Earthquakes that begin in underwater plate boundaries often generate tsunamis which can have a devastating impact on nearby ecosystems and also have far reaching effects on sea level. In Part Two we will be looking into the future and considering plate tectonics on other rocky planets and moons by looking at a scenario where you are a planetary geologist designing a study on tectonics for an exoplanet. In the future it is possible that geologists will need to evaluate the tectonic hazards of possible colonization sites on these planets. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this module you should demonstrate your ability to:  Relate data across different kinds of datasets  Use data to infer past geological events  Begin the process of designing a research study by setting up a hypothesis and predicting what data might support it Lab Activity 1: Past Tectonics – Orphan Tsunamis and Ghost Forests By most accounts, it was a dark and stormy night when Thunderbird and Whale fought their cataclysmic battle. Darkness comes early in the Pacific Northwest in January: the sun had been down for hours, and in the dark and cold, no one could see Thunderbird swoop down. But they felt it when she grabbed Whale in her talons, and rose up with it. Then she dropped Whale from a great height, slamming it into the ground. The land shook, and the waters receded. Some people knew to get into their canoes. Some didn't have time. And then came the great flood, which destroyed whole villages, and lef many canoes stranded in the trees. That's one version of what happened that night. Developed by Kat Cantner, Eryn Klosko, Suki Smaglik, and Adrienne Sorenson

Asynchronous Plate Tectonics Activities developed for Teach the Earth There are many tales. In some, Thunderbird is the hero: in others, the villain. In some, she (or he) is fighting the virtuous/evil Whale; in others, the Transformer who creates or changes the world is her opponent. The two of them have fought many times. Their stories are told up and down the coast. They have changed the shape of the land. They have created and destroyed. And their most epic battles have shaken the earth, and then caused the ocean to roll over it. People are lef floating in the sea in their canoes without a way to get home. Whole villages along the coast are razed. And the ones that survive are those nearer high ground, although some of the stories also tell of how the shaking caused whole mountainsides to come down, sometimes burying villages beneath them. From Vancouver Island to Northern California, variations in the story were told. And many of them have enough details to be dated. When we do, we discover that they refer to one winter's night in the early 1700s. But they're just stories. Myths. Right? -Dana Hunter Scientific American 2016 Background In geological science we use many data sets. Data can come from geological instruments like seismometers or from datasets published by other earth scientists, and in some cases from myths, folklore, and historical documents. In the early 1700s in the Pacific Northwest there are many signs of an enormous earthquake and tsunami. You will be locating the different pieces of evidence, making note of the locations, and generating a list of possible plate margin locations capable of producing this earthquake and tsunami. Evidence In North America Open Google Earth. Use the data table below to place pins in approximate locations of areas affected by the West Coast Tsunami of the 1700s. To place a pin on a location in Google Earth, zoom in on the area, click on the pin in the top left menu. A box will open that will let you type in a label and save the pin. Take a screen shot that includes all 4 pins and paste it into question 1 below (remove the blue text). Evidence Location Thunderbird and Whale Story by the Willapa Tribe Willapa Bay, WA Former fire pits Salmon River, OR (near mouth to Pacific Ocean) Silt and sand above buried soil (tsunami deposits) Twentymile River, AK Ghost forests Copalis River, WA Developed by Kat Cantner, Eryn Klosko, Suki Smaglik, and Adrienne Sorenson

Asynchronous Plate Tectonics Activities developed for Teach the Earth Figure 1 Graphic showing former fire pits in sediment in Oregon. Before the earthquake the soils were darkened and thickened by charcoal and refuse with pits dug and filled in charcoals and fire modified rock material. Minutes to hours afer the earthquake sand-laden tsunami waters arrived and buried the soil and hearths. Decades to centuries later we see layers in the sediment with the charcoal layer covered with a sand layer, then a mud layer from the tides, topped with the present-day tidal marsh sediment. Sand sheets between marsh or dune soils at the bottom and tidal mud at the top is a good indicator of a tsunami. Figure 2 Lef: Photograph of a ghost forest along Copalis River, December 1997. Right: Graphic showing how a ghost forest forms when a large enough earthquake changes the ground level to be below tide level. Before the earthquake typical trees grow. For the first few years afer the change in ground level the tide drowns the trees and they die. Centuries later, cedar trees that have highly resistant and rigid bark do not fall over but their remains tower over the new marsh landscape. Other less resistant trees do fall, but their stumps are buried and preserved in the mud. Discussion Questions 1) Print screen paste the Google Earth portion of your screen below. Please crop out your desktop task bar. Developed by Kat Cantner, Eryn Klosko, Suki Smaglik, and Adrienne Sorenson

Asynchronous Plate Tectonics Activities developed for Teach the Earth Developed by Kat Cantner, Eryn Klosko, Suki Smaglik, and Adrienne Sorenson

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