EARTH SCIENCE

FIRST SEMESTER
11
Module 3

Three (3) Types of Stress and

Sea Floor Spreading

By:
Joey D. Gaton, MATS
Horacio Dela Costa High School

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Describe how rocks behave under different types of stress such as

compression, pulling apart, and shearing (S11ES-IId-27).

Explain how the seafloor spreads (S11ES-IIf-32).

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To the Learners
This Earth Science Module is given to meet the requirements of the Department of
Education. It covers concepts and skills of Earth Science for Grade 11 Students. Please
carefully read the reminders below before browsing the module.

1. Unauthorized publication or plagiarisms are prohibited.

2. Study each topic with comprehension to answer the questions in each test.

3. Read the instructions in every activities in this module.

4. Perform and carry out the given tasks.

5. You may seek help to your teachers or parents for clarifications of contents.

6. Please do answer pre-test and post-test.

Expectations

In this module, you will learn the deformation of the Earth’s curst through folding and
faulting in addition, this learning resource will also help you explain how tension, compression
and shear stress produce geological structures.
Specifically, this module will help you to:

1. understand how rocks are deformed by stress and undergo solid deformation
(strained); and
2. explain how tension, compression, and shear stresses produce geological
structures.
3. Understand what Sea Floor Spreading is and who proposed it.
4. Show proof of Sea Floor Spreading
5. Identify the tools used to measure sound waves underwater.
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Pretest

Directions: Read the questions carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank
provided before the number.

_____1. What do you call the change in the shape of a body caused by the application of a
force (stress)?
A. Deformation B. Shear C. Stress D. Tension

_____2. Which one is considered as the most common stress at convergent plate
boundaries?
A. Compression B. Compressor C. Compressing D. Compressed

_____3. What do you call the stages of deformation wherein the strain is reversible?
A. Bend B. Ductile C. Elastic D. Fracture

_____4. Which of the following is not a factor of deformation process?

A. Confining Pressure C. Structure

B. Composition D. Temperature

_____5. What do you call the stress wherein forces are parallel but moving in opposite
directions?
A. Deformation B. Shear C. Stress D. Tension

_____6. Who proposed the sea floor spreading theory?

A. Alfred Wegener B. Alfred Wallace C. Charles Darwin D. Harry Hess

_____7. Which theory states that new ocean crust is being created at mid-ocean ridges
(Large mountain chains underwater) and destroyed at deep-sea trenches?
A. Continental Drift Theory C. Sea Floor Spreading
B. Divine Creation Theory D. Theory of Evolution

_____8. What do you call the force responsible for driving or moving the plates?
A. Convection currents B. Converging C. Sonar D. Wavelength

_____9. Which of the following does NOT provide concrete evidence for sea floor
spreading?

A. All ocean floor rocks are young compared to the age of Earth.
B. The rocks closest to the ocean ridge were younger than the rocks found further
from the ridge.
C. Geologists discovered that the rocks found at oceanic ridges showed the magnetic
reversals that the Earth has undergone.
D. None of the choices

_____10. What do you call a device that bounces sound waves off under-water objects and
then records the echoes of the sound waves?
A. Convection currents B. Converging C. Sonar D. Wavelength
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Looking Back

Directions: Name each form of volcano and then fill in the chart with the proper
information about each form.

Form of Volcano Type of Magma Shape and Height of Volcano Type of Eruption
1.
2.
3.

Brief Introduction

THREE (3) TYPES OF STRESS

Deformation
Caused by the application of a force (stress) that results to changes in form and
shape.
It is proportional to the stress that applied within elastic limit. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=htt
ps%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachengineering.o
rg%2Flessons%2Fview%2Fcub_rock_les
Stress son01&psig=AOvVaw3kHn-
The force that cause deformation. R1hY0VyHx8zhqgN2n&ust=1598975927
It is the force per unit area that is placed on a rock. 316000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0

Three Types of Stress

Tension
Rocks that are lengthen or break apart / pulled apar. Major
type of stress at divergent plate boundaries.
Compression

Causes rocks to fold or fracture. Squeezes rocks together. Most common stress at
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convergent plate boundaries.

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Shear

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Forces that are parallel and in opposite directions.

Strain

Change in size, shape and volume of the rock. Includes translation and tilting.

Stages of Deformation

• Ductile Deformation – irreversible strain https://www.g

oogle.com/url?
• Elastic Deformation – reversible strain sa=i&url=https
%3A%2F%2F
• Fracture - irreversible strain and the material breaks. www.tulane.ed
u%2F~sanelso
n%2Feens111
How a material behaves will depend on several factors.
Among them are: 0%2Fdeform.h
tm&psig=AOv
• Composition – Chemical bond types of minerals will be a great factor in figuring Vaw3ZofzvZc
out
deformation of the rocks like the presence or absence of water and oxygen. xIKo1Q7x-
MzAC2&ust=
• Strain rate -- Material tends to fracture at elevated temperature and more time is available
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for individual atoms to move and therefore ductile behavior is favored at low strain rates
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• Confining Pressure - Hinders the formation of fractures at high confining pressure while
images&cd=vf
materials will be brittle and tend to fracture sooner at low temperature.
e&ved=0CA0
• Temperature - Materials will behave in more ductile manner at high temperature QjhxqFwoTC
while
materials are brittle at low temperature. Ni_iLboxesCF
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SEA FLOOR SPREADING AAAABAD

Harry Hess

Proposed the Sea floor Spreading in 1962

Sea floor spreading Theory

New ocean crust is being created at mid-ocean ridges

(which are large mountain chains underwater) and destroyed at
deep-sea trenches. Proofs that the plates are moving (Wegner’s
Continental Drift Theory).

Sea Floor Spreading Concept:

1. Convection Current- Force responsible for plate

movements. Occurs within the mantle when cool
magma sinks down, and hot magma rises.
2. The forced caused by convection current towards the
ocean floor cools of when touches water created by
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magma
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3. When the magma hardens, a small amount of new ocean floor is added to the
Earth’s crust which forms a new sea floor.

PROOF THAT THE SEA FLOOR IS SPREADING

1 180 million years old the oldest ocean rock found

2. The rocks found further from the ridge are younger than the rocks
closest to the ridge

3. Rocks at the ocean ridges shows magnetic reversals

A magnetic field that has the same orientation as

Earth’s present field is said to have a normal
polarity

Sonar - a device that bounces sound waves off

under-water objects and then records the echoes
of these sound waves. The time it takes for the
echo to arrive indicates the distance to the object.

Activity 1
Directions: Illustrate the three (3) different stress.

Activity 2

Directions: Label the following stages of deformation.

3.____
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Activity 3

Directions: Search for the following words related to different types of stress.

C T E N S I O N R D T

O A C Z O F P Q S E E

M S H E A R Y X T F M

P T B M N A U V W O P

O R D V W C X E Y R E

S A D U C T I L E M R

I I E L K U U A Z A A

T N F H J R T S A T T

I G F G I E S T B I U

O H E L M N R I C O R

N I J K O P Q C D N E

C O M P R E S S I O N

TENSION COMPRESSION DEFORMATION SHEAR FRACTURE DUCTILE

ELASTIC TEMPERATURE COMPOSITION STRAIN

Activity 4
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Directions: Label the diagram of Sea Floor Spreading

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Activity 5

Directions: Illustrate a sonar which is a device that bounces sound waves off under-water
objects and then records the echoes of these sound waves.

Activity 6
Directions: Complete the crossword by answering the following questions:

Questions

1. The force responsible for driving or moving the plates is ________________.

2. An American scientist who proposed the seafloor spreading theory in 1962.

3. Theory states that new ocean crust is being created at mid-ocean ridges (which are large
mountain chains underwater) and destroyed at deep-sea trenches
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4. magnetic field that has the same orientation as Earth’s present field is said to have a normal
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______________.

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5. A device that bounces sound waves off under-water objects and then records the echoes
of these sound waves.

Activity 7

In this activity, you will create a model showing Sea Floor Spreading.

Materials: Procedure:

Materials: 1. Cut along the

Each group will need
One copy of the seafloor
spreading model pattern
Scissors
Crayons or colored pencils
(orange,yellow, green, blue)
• Tape
dotted lines of the
seafloor-spreading
model pattern on the
next page.
2. Color the areas
indicated on the two
strips with crayons
or colored pencils.

3.Tape together the orange ends of the strips with the

colored sides facing each other.

4.Thread the two strips through Slit B of the larger sheet. Pull one side down through Slit A
and the other through Slit C (Figure)

5.Pull the strips through the slits so that the same colors on both strips emerge from Slit B and
disappear into Slits A and C at the same time.

Guide Questions:

1. What is happening at Slit B? What feature occurs at the corresponding location on the
seafloor?

________________________________________________________________________

2. What is happening at Slits A and C? What features occur at corresponding locations on

the seafloor?

_________________________________________________________________________

3. If you were to sample and date the rocks along the colored strip starting at Slit

B and moving toward Slit A, what change if any would you see in the age of the rocks?

_________________________________________________________________________

4. If you were to sample and date the rocks along the colored strip starting at Slit

B and moving toward Slit C, what change if any would you see in the age of the rocks?
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_________________________________________________________________________

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5. In this model, what do the strips represent? What do the colors represent?

_________________________________________________________________________

6. New seafloor rock is continually being formed at mid-ocean ridges and old seafloor rock is
continually removed at ocean trenches. If the rock on the continents is continually formed but
not removed, how would the age of the oldest rocks on the continents compare with the age
of the oldest rocks on the seafloor?

_________________________________________________________________________

7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this model as a model for demonstrating seafloor

spreading? Criteria:

Content- 5 points
8. What causes the plates to be pulled apart?
Creativity- 5 points
_________________________________________________________________________
Neatness- 5 points
Conclusion/s:
TOTAL – 15 points
_________________________________________________________________________

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Remember

✓ Deformation is the change in the shape of a body caused by the application of a

force (stress).

✓ Stress is the force applied to a rock and may cause deformation. In geology, stress
is the force per unit area that is placed on a rock.

✓ Three Types of Stress includes tensional stress (or extensional stress), which
stretches rock;
✓ compressional stress, which squeezes rock; and shear stress, which result in
slippage and translation.

✓ Stages of Deformation includes elastic deformation, ductile deformation and fracture.

✓ Factors that causes deformation are temperature, confining pressure, strain rate,
composition.

✓ Harry Hess - An American scientist named Harry Hess proposed the seafloor
spreading theory in 1962.
✓ The Sea floor spreading theory states that new ocean crust is being created at mid-
ocean ridges (which are large mountain chains underwater) and destroyed at deep-
sea trenches.

Check Your Understanding

Directions: Based on your understanding about this module, analyze and explain the
following questions about the Different Types of Stress and Sea Floor Spreading

1. Discuss what is deformation and stress.

2. Illustrate and differentiate the three types of stress
3. What are the stages of deformation?
4. Explain the factors that affects deformation.
5. Discuss what is sea floor spreading.
6. Explain how sea floor spreading affects the earth surface.

Post-Test
Directions: Read the questions carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank
provided before the number.
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_____1. What do you call the force applied to a rock and may cause deformation?
Page

A. Deformation B. Shear C. Stress D. Tension

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_____2. Which one is considered as the most common stress at convergent plate
boundaries?
A. Compression B. Compressor C. Compressing D. Compressed
_____3. What do you call the stages of deformation wherein the strain is irreversible?
A. Bend B. Ductile C. Elastic D. Fracture
_____4. Which of the following is not a factor of deformation process?
A. Confining Pressure C. Strain Rate
B. Construction D. Temperature
_____5. What do you call the stress wherein rocks that are pulled apart, lengthen or break
apart?
A. Deformation B. Shear C. Stress D. Tension
_____6. Who proposed the sea floor spreading theory?
A. Alfred Wegener B. Alfred Wallace C. Charles Darwin D. Harry Hess
_____7. Which theory states that new ocean crust is being created at mid-ocean ridges
(Large mountain chains underwater) and destroyed at deep-sea trenches?
A. Continental Drift Theory C. Sea Floor Spreading
B. Divine Creation Theory D. Theory of Evolution
_____8. Which one is considered as the longest chain of mountains in the world?
A. Atlantic ridge C. Mid-ocean ridge
B. Antarctic ridge D. Pacific ridge
_____9. Which of the following does NOT provide concrete evidence for sea floor
spreading?
A. All ocean floor rocks are young compared to the age of Earth.
B. The rocks closest to the ocean ridge were younger than the rocks found further
from the ridge.
C. Geologists discovered that the rocks found at oceanic ridges showed the
magnetic reversals that the Earth has undergone.
D. None of the choices
_____10. What do you call a device that bounces sound waves off under-water objects and
then records the echoes of the sound waves?
A. Convection currents B. Converging C. Sonar D. Wavelength

Reflection

Directions: Based on your understanding about the different lessons presented in this
module, express your critical and creative understanding of each lesson by doing this
Reflective Learning Sheet and answering the questions inside the boxes.

What new information have I learned in this lesson

What suprised me about what I learned?
Which part of this moduel are challenging for me?
Which parts of this assignment are easy for me?
Am I answering all parts of the questions completely?
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