Earth Shakes, Rattles, and Rolls

Plate Tectonics Volcanoes Earthquakes

What is the relationship between the earths plates, volcanoes, and earthquakes?

Plates

http://www.extremescience.com/PlateTectonicsmap.htm

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

http://hsv.com/scitech/earthsci/quake.htm

Lets look at those maps again.

Plates

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Earthquakes and Volcanoes are found where plates meet.

Evidence Wegener used to support theory of continental drift:

Continents fit like a puzzle Fossil evidence Rocks were similar in Africa and South America Evidence Antarctica once had a tropical climate

How did geologists explain how the earths plates moved?

Mid-Atlantic Ridge allows mantle to seep to surface through cracks and pushes plates of the earth apart.

To see how geologists believe the plates moved go to the site below. Notice the Atlantic Ocean seafloor spreading.
Seafloor spreading animation

Crust Mantle Outer core Inner core

Types of Mountains

Folded Fault-block Volcanic Unwarped

FOLDED MOUNTAINS
http://www.cssd11.k12.co.us/dohnts/images/earth/fldmtn.jpg

FOLDED MOUNTAINS
Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, and the Swiss Alps in Switzerland

form when two plates collide head on, and their edges crumble
consist mainly of sedimentary rocks, like limestone and shale

FAULT-BLOCK MOUNTAINS

FAULT-BLOCK MOUNTAINS
Consist of huge blocks of the earth's crust that have been tilted or pushed up along a fracture line called a fault Sierra in California, Arizona is an example.
Created when a plate hits a fault and tips upside down, creating erosion and debris, which is at the base of the mountain.

VOLCANIC MOUNTAIN

NAMIBIA IN AFRICA

Volcanic mountains
Formed when molten rock, or magma deep within the earth, erupts, and piles upon the surface Made of basalt and rhyolite. Takes place where two of the earth's tectonic plates collide.

UNWARPED MOUNTAINS
Black Hills in South Dakota

form when tectonic forces lift the earth's crust into a broad bulge or dome raising it above its surroundings
Erosion causes peaks and valleys to form.

Convection currents in action! At left, two animal cookies represent two of the Earth's tectonic plates. At right, the two plates have moved apart, much like what happens at a divergent margin. The chocolate pudding represents the Earth's mantle. The heat source beneath the pot created convection cells in the chocolate pudding. Think of the cookie on the left as South America, and the cookie on the right as Africa. Over time they have moved apart. You'll see this again.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://visearth.ucsd.edu:16080/VisE _teach/Kimball/untitled18.jpg&imgrefurl=http://visearth.ucsd.edu:16080/VisE _teach/Kimball/Kimball2.html&h=200&w=308&sz=35&tbnid=sEa1xg46QV MJ:&tbnh=72&tbnw=110&start=9&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCONVECTION %2BCURRENTS%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle are what drive plate motions. Convection currents are driven by the simple fact that hot things (such as gases and liquids) rise while cool things fall.

Convection currents in the magma move the earths crust.

epicenter
The point on the surface of Earth that is right above the focus of an earthquake

http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/science/define/gr4/epicent er4c.html

http://uc.wisc.edu/news/features/quake/pwaves.html

Go to this site to see an animation of the path of p waves and s waves

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/animations/earthquakes/

Earthquakes
How do we measure the intensity of an earthquake?

Seismograph measures

or the strength of an earthquake

Seismograph records energy waves of the earth

Mercalli Scale
I.People do not feel anything . V. People feel movement. Doors open Pictures fall off wall. VII. Some buildings lose bricks. Difficulty driving. IX. Considerable damage to homes. Cracks in earth. XII. Almost everything is destroyed. The ground moves in waves or ripples.

Richter Scale
Earthquake Magnitudes Less than 3.5 3.5-5.4 Under 6.0 Effects Generally not felt Rarely causes damage. Slight damage to well-designed buildings.

6.1-6.9 7.0-7.9 8 or greater

Destructive to about 100 kilometers across Major earthquake. Serious damage over larger areas. Great earthquake.

Each number is 10X stronger than the previous number.

How much stronger is the 3 than the 1? 100
Times

How much stronger is the 8 than the 1? 10,000,000

Write the number in scientific notation. 106

Why is the Richter Scale more accurate than the Mercalli Scale?
The Richter Scale is objective and based on mathematical measurements. The Mercalli scale is subjective and based on peoples perception and experience. On Mercalli scale if the area is unihabited there is no way to measure the magnitude of the earthquake.

Richter Magnitude
1.0 to 3.9 4.0-4.9 5.0-5.9 6.0-6.9 7.0-7.9 8.0-8.9

Number of Earthquakes per year 900,000 +

6200 800 226 18 Less than 2

One Boys Experience Eyewitness Account

http://www.olympus.net/personal/gofamily/quake/famous/1906.html

Jack Londons Eyewitness Account of San Franciso Earthquake

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Writings/Journalism/sfearthquake.html

Click on url to get complete texts

San Francisco Earthquake 1906

Alaska Earthquake 1964

Earthquakes in the ocean cause

30 Wall of Water

Destruction

Types of Volcanos
Composite Cinder Cone
Shield

Vesuvius, Krakatoa, Fujiyama, and Mount St. Helens

tens of miles across and ten thousand or more feet in height.

have small craters in their summits

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/images/modules/volcanoes/typesb.GIF&imgrefurl=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcano es/vtypesvolcan1.html&h=236&w=265&sz=14&tbnid=qZF0vXnHnOkJ:&tbnh=96&tbnw=107&start=19&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcomposite%2Bvolcano%2 6hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

consist almost entirely of loose, grainy cinders and almost no lava

small volcanoes

steep sides and usually have ahttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/images/modules/volcanoes/t ypesb.GIF&imgrefurl=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vtypesvolcan1.html&h=23 6&w=265&sz=14&tbnid=qZF0vXnHnOkJ:&tbnh=96&tbnw=107&start=19&prev=/images% 3Fq%3Dcomposite%2Bvolcano%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN small crater on top

hundreds of miles across and many tens of thousands of feet high.

Mauna Loa consist almost entirely of frozen lavas large craters at their summits.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/images/modules/volcanoes/typesb.GIF&imgrefurl=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vtypesv olcan1.html&h=236&w=265&sz=14&tbnid=qZF0vXnHnOkJ:&tbnh=96&tbnw=107&start=19&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcomposite%2Bvolcano%26hl%3Den%26lr%3 D%26sa%3DN

 largest single mountain in the world 30,000 +feet above the ocean floor 100 miles across at its base.

Image Resources
For additional diagrams of volcanoes click below: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/volcano/labelvol cano.shtml
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/images/modules/volcanoes/typesb.GIF&imgrefur l=http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vtypesvolcan1.html&h=236&w=265&sz=14&tbnid=qZF0vXnHnOk J:&tbnh=96&tbnw=107&start=19&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcomposite%2Bvolcano%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa %3DN