Historical Geology

Homework 4 Name _______________________________

Read 34.PDF, and answer the following questions.

U.S.G.S., 2001, This dynamic earth, 34.pdf

1. What was the main weakness of Wegener’s theory of Continental Drift?

2. The mobile zone in the mantle composed of hot semi solid material is called the __________________.

3. How is continental crust different from oceanic crust?

4. How long is the global mid-ocean ridge? ___________________________________

5. What forms the base of the food chain of submarine hot spring ecosystems, characterized by giant tubeworms, huge clams and mussels?

6. Where on earth would we find a continent actively splitting apart at a triple junction?

7. When did the Indian Plate collide with the Eurasian plate forming the Himalayas? _________________

8. The Mediterranean-Alpine region between Eurasian and African Plates is considered a

___________________________.

9. Who initially came up with the “hotspot” theory? _______________________________

10. The process where lithospheric fragments become attached to the continents is called

_________________________

11. What caused the 1883 tsunami that killed 36,000 people in Java and Sumatra?