Lecture note Topic 4
Lecture note Topic 4
Recommended reading:
1. Laura Neser (2025), " Introduction to Earth Science - Second Edition", Virginia Tech Department of
Geosciences in association with the Open Education Initiative and Virginia Tech Publishing.
https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/7c0aa36a-ac3a-4d16-90bd-b62b28db576c/content
2. Thomas McGuire (2004), “Glencoe Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the Universe,
Science Notebook, Student Edition”, McGraw-Hill Education.
Figure 3. A ship sends out sound waves to create Figure 4. Mid-ocean ridge systems
a picture of the seafloor below it.
Besides mid-ocean ridges, ocean trench, scientist discovered some similarities in magnetism,
sediments of rocks reflection in the mid-ocean ridges (Figure 5, 6).
Figure 5. Magnetic polarity in the Figure 6. Similarities in age of rocks reflection in
seafloor. the mid-ocean ridges
Scientists brought all of these observations together in the early 1960s to create the seafloor
spreading hypothesis. They suggested that hot mantle material rises up toward the surface at
mid-ocean ridges. This hot material is buoyant and causes the ridge to rise, which is one reason
that mid-ocean ridges are higher than the rest of the seafloor. The hot magma at the ridge erupts
as lava that forms new seafloor. When the lava cools, its magnetite crystals take on the current
magnetic polarity. The polarity is locked in when the lava solidifies and the magnetite crystals
are trapped in position. Reversals show up as magnetic stripes on opposite sides of the ridge axis.
As more lava erupts, it pushes the seafloor that is at the ridge horizontally away from ridge axis.
This continues as the formation of new seafloor forces older seafloor to move horizontally away
from the ridge axis. The magnetic stripes continue across the seafloor. If the oceanic crust butts
up against a continent, it pushes that continent away from the ridge axis as well. If the oceanic
crust reaches a deep sea trench, it will sink into it and be lost into the mantle. In either case, the
oldest crust is coldest and lies deepest in the ocean.
8. Theory of plate tectonics
Due to Cold War, scientists set up seismograph networks to see if enemy nations were testing
atomic bombs. Seismographs record seismic waves. While watching for enemy atom bomb
tests, the seismographs were also recording all of the earthquakes that were taking place around
the planet. From these seismographs, scientist found that Earthquakes areassociated with large
cracks in the ground, known as faults. Rocks on opposite sides of a fault move in opposite
directions. Earthquakes are not spread evenly around the planet, but are found mostly in certain
regions. Scientists noticed that the earthquake epicenters were located along the mid-ocean
ridges, trenches and large faults that mark the edges of large slabs of Earth’s lithosphere (Figure
7). They named these large slabs of lithosphere plates. The movements of the plates were then
termed plate tectonics. A single plate can be made of all oceanic lithosphere or all continental
lithosphere, but nearly all plates are made of a combination of both.
The lithosphere is divided into a dozen major and several minor plates. The plates’ edges can be
drawn by the connecting the dots that are earthquakes epicenters. Scientists have named each of
the plates and have determined the direction that each is moving (Figure 8). Plates move around
the Earth’s surface at a rate of a few centimeters a year, about the same rate fingernails grow by
mantle convection.
Figure 7. Preliminary determination of Figure 8. The lithospheric plates
epicenters, 1963-1998
The edges where two plates meet are known as plate boundaries. Most geologic activity,
including volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain building,takes place at plate boundaries where
two enormous pieces of solid lithosphere interact.
Relative motion of plates defines the three types of plate boundaries:
• Divergent plate boundaries: the two plates move away from each other.
• Convergent plate boundaries: the two plates move towards each other.
• Transform plate boundaries: the two plates slip past each other.
9. Mountain building
Mountain building, or orogeny, is a geological process by which mountains are formed,
primarily due to the movement and collision of tectonic plates. This process plays a crucial role
in shaping the Earth's surface, influencing climate, and creating diverse ecosystems. Orogeny is
typically associated with convergent plate boundaries, where two tectonic plates collide and
interact, leading to the deformation of the Earth’s crust.
There are several types of mountains formed through different orogenic processes: fold
mountains, fault-block mountains, volcanic mountains, and dome mountains. Among these, fold
mountains are the most common and are formed when two continental plates collide, causing the
crust to buckle and fold. The Himalayas, for instance, are classic examples of fold mountains
formed by the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Fault-block mountains,
on the other hand, occur when large blocks of the Earth's crust are tilted, uplifted, or dropped
downward between faults. Examples include the Sierra Nevada in the United States. Volcanic
mountains result from magma rising from beneath the Earth's crust and erupting onto the surface,
building up layers of lava and ash over time, as seen in the Andes and the Cascade Range.
Mountain building is not a rapid process; it occurs over millions of years. The forces involved
include compression, tension, and shearing. These forces can lead to folding, faulting, and
metamorphism of rocks, which all contribute to the growth and uplift of mountain ranges. In
addition to plate tectonics, other factors such as erosion, weathering, and isostasy (the balance of
the Earth's crust floating on the mantle) also play roles in shaping and maintaining mountains.
Orogenic events often coincide with seismic activity and the formation of metamorphic rocks
due to intense pressure and heat. They are not only significant for understanding Earth's dynamic
systems but also for human civilization, as mountain ranges affect climate patterns, serve as
water sources, and contain valuable mineral resources.