1.​ Volcanoes in juvenile ocean basins typically produce what type of rock?

Basalt
Sandstone
Granite

In juvenile ocean basins (early-stage ocean basins), volcanic activity is primarily

associated with mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading. The magma that erupts in these
settings is typically mafic, meaning it is rich in iron and magnesium, which leads to the
formation of basalt, the most common rock type found in oceanic crust.
2. A basin where ocean crust is just beginning to form is likely what

A mature ocean basin

An embryonic rift valley
A juvenile ocean Basin

An embryonic rift valley is an early-stage feature in the process of continental rifting, where
the lithosphere begins to stretch and thin, leading to the formation of new oceanic crust.
Over time, if rifting continues, it can develop into a juvenile ocean basin and eventually a
mature ocean basin.
3. Examine Ol Doinyo Lengai on the mapview. What are the white streaks radiating
from the centre?

weathered lava flows

clouds
stream floods
Glaciers

Ol Doinyo Lengai, located in Tanzania, is a unique volcano known for erupting

carbonatite lava, which weathers to a white or light gray color over time. These
white streaks seen in satellite images or map views are the result of weathered lava
flows, rather than clouds, floods, or glaciers.
4. Examine Ol Doinyo Lengai on the mapview. About 2 km due east of the vantage
point, there is a circular depression. What might this be?

A mine
a meteorite impact crater
A kettle lake
A volcanic crater

Ol Doinyo Lengai is an active volcano, and circular depressions near it are most
likely volcanic craters formed by past eruptions or collapses. Given its geological
setting, it is unlikely to be a mine, meteorite impact crater, or kettle lake (which forms
from melting glaciers, which are not present in this region).
5. Using the image at Erte Ale (Lava Lakes at Erte Ale), examine the ground away
from the lava lake. Would you describe the surface as...

made out of rounded pillow-like shapes

broken up and fragmental
ropey-looking

The area surrounding Erta Ale's lava lake is primarily covered in cooled, solidified
lava flows, which often have a jagged, fragmented appearance. This type of surface
is characteristic of ‘A‘ā lava, which is rough and broken due to the way it cools and
moves.

●​ Pillow-like shapes are typical of pillow lava, which forms underwater.

●​ Ropey-looking surfaces describe pāhoehoe lava, which is smoother and
more fluid-like in appearance.
6. Using the small scale at the bottom of the Erte Ale mapview, approximately how
far have some lava flows traveled?

only several tens of meters

several kilometers
many hundreds of kilometers

Using the scale bar at the bottom of the Erta Ale mapview, you can estimate that
some lava flows have traveled several kilometers from the main lava lake. While lava
can sometimes travel long distances through lava tubes, the flows at Erta Ale
generally extend a few kilometers, not hundreds of kilometers.
7. Which of the following is a term for sediment that accumulates where continental
crust transitions to oceanic crust?

A delta plain
A continental wedge
A continental shelf

The continental shelf is the submerged edge of a continent where sediment

accumulates before transitioning into the deeper ocean basin. This area collects
sediment from rivers, coastal erosion, and ocean currents.

●​ A delta plain forms at the mouth of a river, not necessarily where continental
crust transitions to oceanic crust.
●​ A continental wedge (accretionary wedge) is associated with subduction
zones, not passive continental margins.
8. Find the slide "The Red Sea". Which material typically has a stronger gravitational
attractive force?

salt
sediment
basalt

Basalt is denser than both salt and sediment, meaning it has a stronger
gravitational attractive force. Basalt, which makes up the oceanic crust, has a
typical density of around 3.0 g/cm³, while:

●​ Salt (such as halite) is much less dense, around 2.1–2.2 g/cm³.

●​ Sediment varies in density but is generally lower than basalt, often around
2.4–2.7 g/cm³.

Since gravitational attraction is influenced by mass and density, basalt exerts the
strongest gravitational pull among these materials.
9. Horizontal layering visible in the walls of Thingvellir (Panoramic image) could be
individual basaltic lava flows

True
False

The horizontal layering visible in the walls of Thingvellir is made up of individual

basaltic lava flows. This region, located in Iceland, lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
where volcanic activity has produced repeated lava flows over time. As each flow
cools and solidifies, it forms distinct layers, which can be seen in the rock walls.
10. Iceland is being pulled apart in a north-south direction

True
False

Iceland is being pulled apart in an east-west direction, not north-south. This is due
to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent plate boundary where the North American
Plate and Eurasian Plate are moving away from each other. This spreading motion
causes Iceland to gradually split apart from east to west.
11. The Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and East African Rift all occupy low-lying land along
the arms of triple junction.

True
False

The Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and East African Rift are all part of a triple junction,
where three tectonic plates (the African, Arabian, and Somali plates) are pulling
away from each other. This rifting creates low-lying land as the crust thins and
subsides, eventually forming new ocean basins if spreading continues.
12. If spreading in the afar triangle continues, it may one day reside below sea level.

True
False

The Afar Triangle is a region in East Africa where the African, Arabian, and
Somali plates are pulling apart. If rifting continues, the land will continue to subside
and may eventually drop below sea level, allowing ocean water to flood in and form
a new sea, much like the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
13. Examine the Age of the Ocean Floor Interact-able globe:

The distance from the 30 Ma isochron on the west side of Point D and the 30 Ma
isochron on the east side of Point D is about 900 km. Use a calculator and calculate
the rate at which North America is moving away from Africa. Hint: distance/time, 1
km/Ma = 1 mm/year

3 mm/year
0.5 cm/year
6 cm/year
3 cm/year

To calculate the rate at which North America is moving away from Africa, we use
the formula:

Rate=Distance/Time

Given:

●​ Distance = 900 km
●​ Time = 30 million years (Ma)
●​ Conversion: 1 km/Ma = 1 mm/year

Now, solving for the rate:

900 km/30 Ma=30 km

= 30

30 km/Ma=30,000 mm/year

=3 cm/year30

= 30,000

= 3 cm/year
14. Examine the Age of the Ocean Floor Interact-able globe:

When did Greenland begin moving away from North America?

100-130 Ma
40-70 Ma
70-100 Ma
10-40 Ma

Greenland began moving away from North America around 100-130 million years
ago during the early stages of the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. This rifting event
marks the separation of the continents that continues today.
15. As one moves away from a mid oceanic crust are you walking on...

progressively older crust

progressively younger crust

As you move away from a mid-ocean ridge (where new oceanic crust is formed), the
crust gets older. The new crust forms at the ridge and is gradually pushed away by
the continuous process of seafloor spreading. Therefore, the farther you move from
the ridge, the older the crust becomes.
16. Spreading at a divergent boundary occurs perpendicularly to the ridge axis

True
False

Spreading at a divergent boundary occurs parallel to the ridge axis, not

perpendicularly. As the tectonic plates pull apart at mid-ocean ridges, new oceanic
crust forms along the ridge axis, pushing the plates away from each other in a
direction parallel to the ridge.
17. Examine the Atlantic Ocean slide's bathymetry and magnetic anomalies image.
Today, the magnetic field flows out of the south pole and into the north pole

True
False

Today, the Earth's magnetic field flows out of the north pole and into the south pole. This is
the current magnetic polarity. However, the Earth's magnetic field has reversed many times
in the past, with the north and south magnetic poles swapping places, a process known as
geomagnetic reversal. The magnetic anomalies on the ocean floor are evidence of these
past reversals.
18. Oceanic crust is typically moving in opposite directions on either side of a
transform fault.

True
False

At a transform fault, the oceanic crust (or any type of crust) on either side moves in
opposite directions. These faults occur where two tectonic plates slide past each other
horizontally, often offsetting features like mid-ocean ridges. As a result, the crust on either
side of the fault moves in opposite directions.
19. The linear topography is more pronounced along the inner axis of the Explorer
ridge than the outer parts of the ridge.

True
False

The linear topography is generally more pronounced along the inner axis of the ridge,
such as the Explorer Ridge, because this is where new oceanic crust is being created.
The ridge axis is typically elevated due to the upwelling of mantle material, and it often
features volcanic activity and faulting. The outer parts of the ridge, where the crust has
cooled and spread further, usually have a less pronounced topography.
20. Hydrothermal vents tend to form high-relief mounds that grow out of the seafloor.

True
False

Hydrothermal vents often form high-relief mounds on the seafloor. These vents release
hot, mineral-rich fluids from beneath the Earth's crust, which can lead to the deposition of
minerals like sulfur and metals, forming chimney-like structures or mounds that protrude
from the seafloor. These structures can grow over time as the vents continue to release
fluids.