Test 4 01.02.

23, 14:59

Tellus II - Geology: Assignment 4 - Plate tectonics

Print!
I recommend that you print your answer BEFORE you click SUBMIT. Why?

To complete this assignment you need to complete all of the practical assignments below. PWhen you have answered all of the
questions, please send your answers to me by clicking on the "Submit" button.

Before starting this assignment, you should re-read chapter 4 of Earth: Portrait of a Planet by S. Marshak. You might also benefit
from referring back to assignment 4 in Tellus I - Geology and the MathTutor.

During this assignment, you will be asked to construct a graph showing focal depth of earthquakes as a function of distance from
a plate boundary. It is important that you save this graph (or a photograph of this graph if it is constructed by hand). It will form
part of the portfolio which you need to submit using the template provided at the end of the course.

There is no time limit, so you might want to print this page and fill in your answers first by hand. You can then return to this page to
enter and submit your answers.

Please make sure to use '.' not ',' for decimal places and be extra careful to give your answers in the correct units.

Please do not forget to write your NAME, SWEDISH ID NUMBER and E-MAIL ADDRESS. This is very important, because otherwise I won't
know that it is your assignment that I have received!

Good luck!

Christophe

Name:

Swedish ID number: yymmdd - xxxx

E-mail:

Introduction

The purpose of this assignment is to reinforce your understanding of plate tectonics with a series of practical assignments. The topics
that will be covered are lithospheric plates, plate motion and plate boundaries.

1. Lithospheric plates

The layers which comprise Earth's inner structure can be subdivided according to chemistry or physics. In chemical terms, Earth has a
metallic core, an ultramafic mantle, mafic oceanic crust and felsic continental crust. In physical terms, Earth has a solid inner core, a
liquid outer core, a solid and plastic asthenosphere and a solid and rigid lithosphere. The lithosphere is comprised of oceanic crust,
continental crust and the uppermost rigid part of the mantle. The lithosphere is fragmented into a number of plates. These
lithospheric plates are in constant motion. This motion is ultimately driven by both gravity and cooling of the Earth.

How many lithospheric plates are there?

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Which plate/s is/are comprised solely of oceanic lithosphere?

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Which plate/s is/are comprised solely of continental lithosphere?

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In assignment 1, we will use the following schematic cross-section of the crust and mantle to study Archimedes principle and how
it can be used to derive crustal thicknesses. The cross-section compares (from left to right) continental crust at elevations of 8
km, 1 km and 0 km with oceanic crust at a depth of 5 km.

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Test 4 01.02.23, 14:59

Calculate the mass of a column of continental crust which extends from the Earth's surface at sea level to the Moho and has a
cross-sectional area of 1 m2 (1 credit):

Enter the volume of the column as a whole number of cubic meters (m3):

Volume of column ? m3

Enter the mass of the column, expressed in kilograms (kg) using scientific notation with one significant figure after the decimal point:

Mass of the column of continental crust ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Calculate the mass of a column of water, oceanic crust and mantle, which extends from the surface of the ocean to the exact
same depth and has a cross-sectional area of 1 m2 (2 credits):

Enter the volume of each part of the column as a whole number of cubic meters (m3):

Volume of the part of the column which is comprised of water ? m3

Volume of the part of the column which is comprised of oceanic crust ? m3
Volume of the part of the column which is comprised of mantle ? m3

Enter the mass of each part of the column, expressed in kilograms (kg) using scientific notation with one significant figure after the
decimal point:

Mass of the part of the column which is comprised of water ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Mass of the part of the column which is comprised of oceanic crust ? * 10 ^ ? kg
Mass of the part of the column which is comprised of mantle ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Enter the mass of the entire column, expressed in kilograms (kg) using scientific notation with one significant figure after the decimal
point:

Mass of the column of water, oceanic crust and mantle ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Compare the mass of the column of continental crust with the mass of the column of water, oceanic crust and mantle. What do you
notice?
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Calculate the mass of a column of continental crust which extends from the Earth's surface at an elevation of 1 km to the Moho
and has a cross-sectional area of 1 m2 (1 credit):

Enter the mass of the column, expressed in kilograms (kg) using scientific notation with one significant figure after the decimal point:

Mass of the column of continental crust ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Calculate the mass of a column of air, water, oceanic crust and mantle, which extends from an elevation of 1 km above the

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Test 4 01.02.23, 14:59

surface of the ocean to the exact same depth and has a cross-sectional area of 1 m2 (2 credits):

Enter the mass of each part of the column, expressed in kilograms (kg) using scientific notation with one significant figure after the
decimal point:

Mass of the part of the column which is comprised of water ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Mass of the part of the column which is comprised of oceanic crust ? * 10 ^ ? kg
Mass of the part of the column which is comprised of mantle ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Enter the mass of the entire column, expressed in kilograms (kg) using scientific notation with one significant figure after the decimal
point:

Mass of the column of water, oceanic crust and mantle ? * 10 ^ ? kg

Calculate the length (x) of a column of continental crust which extends from the Earth's surface at an elevation of 8 km to the
Moho and has a cross-sectional area of 1 m2 (4 credits):

Write down an equation for the mass of the column of continental crust (M1), expressed in kg as a function of its density (2700 kg/m3)
and length (x in meters):

Equation 1: M1 = ? ? ? * 1 m3

Write down an equation for the mass of a column comprised of air, water, oceanic crust and mantle which extends from an elevation
of 8 km above the surface of the ocean to the exact same depth and has a cross-sectional area of 1 m2 (M2) expressed in kg as a
function of the densities (in kg/m3) and lengths (in meters) of each of its parts:

Water Oceanic crust Mantle

Equation 2: M2 = [ ? ? ? + ? ? ? + ? ? (x ? ? ) ] * 1 m3

Write down an equation relating M1 and M2 in accordance with Archimedes principle:

Equation 3: M1 ? M2

Combine equations 1, 2 and 3 and solve for x. Express your answer as a whole number of kilometers (km):

x= ? km

2. Plate motion
One way of measuring the rate of plate motion is using hot spot tracks. A hot spot is a volcanic area formed above a mantle plume. A
hot spot track is a chain of extinct volcanoes, each of which was formed when the plate was above the plume and became extinct as it
was carried away from the plume by the moving plate. Using hot spot tracks to measure the rate of plate motion assumes that the
position of a hot spot is fixed.

In assignment 2, we will use the Reunion hot spot track to calculate the rate of motion of the Australian-Indian and African
plates. This hot spot track is shown on the Google Earth image below.

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For each locality, measure its distance along the hot spot track (dashed line) from Reunion. This is most easily done using the
"Ruler" tool in Google Earth. Express your answers to the nearest 100 km (2 credits):

Distance along
Age hot spot track
from Reunion
Reunion 2 Ma 0 km
Mauritius 7 Ma ? km
Nazareth Bank 33 Ma ? km
Chagos 49 Ma ? km
Maldives 57 Ma ? km
Deccan Traps 66 Ma 5400 km

Plot a graph of age (vertical axis) as a function of distance along the hot spot track from Reunion (horizontal axis). Use this graph
to calculate the rates of motion of the Australian-Indian and African plates (2 credits) and to determine when the spreading ridge
between these plates passed over the plume (1 credit).

Enter the rates of motion of the Australian-Indian and African plates. Express each answer as a whole number of cm/yr:

Rate of motion of the Australian-Indian Plate = ? cm/yr

Rate of motion of the African Plate = ? cm/yr

Enter the time when the spreading ridge passed over the plume. Express your answer as a whole number of millions of years (Ma):

Time when the spreading ridge passed over the plume = ? Ma

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Test 4 01.02.23, 14:59

3. Plate boundaries
There are four types of plate boundary, each of which has its own bathymetric or topographic expression. Divergent plate boundaries
occur as ridges on the ocean floor, called mid-ocean ridges. Convergent plate boundaries form either 1) trenches on the ocean floor,
where oceanic lithosphere is subducted beneath continental or oceanic lithosphere, or 2) mountain ranges, where continents collide
with one another. Transform plate boundaries occur as strike slip faults. Motion along a perfect transform plate boundary is purely
lateral so little or no surface expression is expected. However, most transform plate boundaries have some obliquity. This results in
bathymetric or topographic expression which takes the form of push up ridges if obliquity results in a component of convergence of
pull apart basins if obliquity results in a component of divergence.

Which type of plate boundary is found at 17.0ºN 148.0ºE?

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Which type of plate boundary is found at 42.0ºS 84.5ºE?

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Which type of plate boundary is found at 38.0ºS 49.0ºE?

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Which type of plate boundary is found at 27ºN 86ºE?

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In assignment 3, we will use earthquake focal depths to construct a scaled drawing of a subduction zone. To do so, we will
assume that earthquakes occur along the upper surface of the subducting plate. The earthquake data we will use is from USGS
and shown on the Google Earth image below.

Estimate the horizontal distance from the plate boundary at the seafloor at which earthquake focal depths are at 0, 33, 70, 150,
300 and 500 km. This is most easily done using the "Ruler" tool in Google Earth. Express your answers to the nearest 100 km (2
credits):

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Test 4 01.02.23, 14:59

Earthquake Distance from

focal depth plate boundary
0 km 0 km
33 km ? km
70 km ? km
150 km ? km
300 km ? km
500 km 800 km

Write down an equation relating subduction angle (a), focal depth (d) distance from the plate boundary (z) (1 credit):

? ( ? )= ? ? ?

Plot a graph of focal depth (vertical axis) as a function of distance from the plate boundary at the seafloor (horizontal axis). Use
this graph and the above equation to estimate the average subduction angles for the depth ranges 0 - 150 km and 150 - 500 km
(2 credits):

Depth range Subduction angle

0 - 150 km ? º
150 - 500 km ? º

If you have answered all 3 questions, you are now finished with this assignment which you should send to me by pressing the 'Submit'
button below.

Submit!

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