Margie Fe D.

Antiquina

MST-1

Explain the Phrase “ The Earth’s Surface makes it a Dynamic Planet”

The surface features are dynamic in character. This dynamism is due to two forces —
endogenetic and exogenetic. Endogenetic forces are those which are caused from below the surface.
Due to this, an area may get elevated or gets submerged. These forces try to make the surface irregular
while exogenetic forces are those which operate from above the surface. Dynamic processes in the
Earth shape the surface on which we live. These include the subduction of lithosphere and formation of
mountain belts, the rifting of continents and formation of passive margins, and the erosion and
deposition of rocks at the Earth´s surface. Wind, water, and ice erode and shape the land. Volcanic
activity and earthquakes alter the landscape in a dramatic and often violent manner. And on a much
longer timescale, the movement of earth’s plates slowly reconfigures oceans and continents.

Explain the Geologic Origin of the following

1. Andes-The Andes were formed by tectonic activity whereby earth is uplifted as one plate
(oceanic crust) subducts under another plate (continental crust).

2. Chocolate hills- The most acceptable geological theory of the Chocolate Hills of Bohol is that the
hills were the result of thousands of years of weathering of marine limestone. Others say that
the hills were formed ages ago by the uplift of coral deposits or that they erupted from the sea
in a massive geologic shift, and the action of rain water and erosion for the past thousand years
put in the finishing touches.

3. Stone Forest -Madagascar : The formation of the Tsingy began some 200 million years ago when
layers of calcite at the bottom of a lagoon formed a thick limestone bed. Later, "tectonic activity
elevated the limestone, and as sea level fell during the Pleistocene ice ages, even more of the
limestone was exposed. No longer underwater, the ancient sediments were carved by monsoon
rains, which washed softer rocks away and left tougher rocks standing. Meanwhile, groundwater
carved caves below the surface. As cave ceilings gave way, canyons formed between rocky
towers.

4. Himalayas- Among the most dramatic and visible creations of plate-tectonic forces are the lofty
Himalayas, which stretch 2,900 km along the border between India and Tibet. This immense
mountain range began to form between 40 and 50 million years ago, when two large
landmasses, India and Eurasia, driven by plate movement, collided. Because both these
continental landmasses have about the same rock density, one plate could not be subducted
 under the other. The pressure of the impinging plates could only be relieved by thrusting
skyward, contorting the collision zone, and forming the jagged Himalayan peaks.

5. Uluru- Around 500 million years ago, the whole area became covered in sea. Sand and mud fell
to the bottom and covered the seabed, including these fans. The weight of the new seabed
turned the fans into rock. The sandy fan became sandstone (Uluru) while the rocky fan became
conglomerate rock (Kata Tjuta). 400 million years ago, the sea disappeared. Rocks folded and
tilted as the earth’s tectonic plates shifted. Kata Tjuta tilted slightly and Uluru tilted 90 degrees.
Uluru is a type of rock called arkose. If you take the base walk you can see that the surface is
actually flaky red with grey patches. The flakes are bits of rock left after water and oxygen have
decayed minerals in the rock. The red is the rusting of iron found naturally in arkose, and the
grey is the rock’s original color. You can see Uluru’s original grey inside many of its caves.

6. Devil’s Tower- Geologists agree that Devils Tower began as magma, or molten rock buried
beneath the Earth’s surface. What they cannot agree upon are the processes by which the
magma cooled to form the Tower, or its relationship to the surrounding geology of the area.

7. Grand Canyon- Sixty million years ago, the Rocky Mountains and the entire Colorado Plateau,
which the Grand Canyon is part of, rose up from tectonic activity. After the top layers of rock
(green) eroded away, the Colorado River grew powerful and began to cut its way through the
ancient rock

8. West Indies-- The West Indian Island arcs have been formed along a stress zone between the
North and South American crustal plates. The inner chain of the Lesser Antilles developed along
a line of weakness in the earth's crust. A series of submarine volcanoes formed, which rose
above sea level to form the islands