EAPS 111 Exam 1 Purdue Practice Questions with Correct Answers Graded A+

EAPS 111 Exam 1 Purdue Practice Questions with Correct Answers Graded A+ 1. A fundamental premise of plate tectonics is that the Earth's surface is made of distinct plates. What are the kinds of evidence/observations led geoscientists to conclude this? -The presence of fossil evidence as well as physical boundaries for continents and chains of seismic activity, they can fit together and plants, sediments 2. Where these plates interact (at their active boundaries) is where a significant fraction of the tectonic activity occurs. There are 3 basic active plate boundaries types. What are they and how would you describe the large-scale motions at each? -Divergent- move apart -Convergent- come together -Transform- slide past each other 3. What are the characteristics of the three types of plate boundaries in terms of plate motions, association of earthquakes and volcanoes, and presence or absence of mountains (or other distinctive features)? -Divergent- results in mid ocean ridges, lava rises out of faults created by plates moving apart -Convergent- subduction zones, causes higher plate to rise, volcanic activity from falling plate common. Earthquakes can result from sudden slips of the footwall. -Transform-plates move past each other causing earthquakes, mountains or valleys not common. 4. What does the orientation of volcanic island chains indicate? -presences of a convergent plate boundary, which way the plate is moving 5. Can you distinguish the different plate margins from map and elevation data? Top is above sea, bath, below sea. 6. What is convection, how does it work (think of the analogies we used in class)? -the heating and cooling of rock creating a cycling motion. Gravity pulls the upper cooler rock down (because it's denser) and then heats it, causing it to rise (less dense), creating a cycling motion 7. Why is convection relevant to plate tectonics? -convection drives the movement of plate tectonics, causing the rock to move either apart, together, or past each other 8. Be able to identify and explain seafloor features and other tectonic elements on continents and relate these to convection and plate tectonics. -seafloor features are effected by plate tectonics as well, for example divergent plate boundaries result in mid ocean ridges