Case Study On Earth Science Questions

1. A hot spot is an area on the earth’s surface that has several unique characteristics. These characteristics include but are not limited to high volcanic activity, frequent and extreme heat flows, and crustal movement that stretches across several hundred miles. Hot spots around the Hawaiian island chain created the islands. This was due to the Pacific plate move on top of the hot spot. Consequently mantle plumes created the islands.
2. An accretionary wedge is, like the name, suggests is a wedge. It is made up of a group of rocks called sediment and forms by gathering in subduction zones. That is zones where the oceanic plate moves downwards. The sediment that is on top of the oceanic crust is literally scraped and formed on the overriding plate.
3. Africa and South America are moving apart due to the geological phenomena or theory known as continental drift. This idea suggests that all the earth’s continents once were a part of a super continent called Pangea. This super continent then drifted apart and are in their present positions. Africa and South America are still moving apart as the continental drift is till occurring, albeit at an extremely slow pace.
4. The theory of plate tectonics combines the ideas of continental drift as discussed above and also seafloor spreading. The Urals and the Appalachians are roughly the same age. Mountain belts exist in a continental landmass due to the plate tectonics essentially colliding and pushing upwards forming the mountains. Both the Urals and Appalachians were formed by colliding plate.