EOSC 116 Chapter : Mod. E.docx

• School: UBC
• Department: Earth and Ocean Sciences
• Course: EOSC 116
• Professor: Louise Longridge

Document Summary

Plate tectonics = grand unifying theory explaining relationships between processes within earth. Some lithospheric plates consist of both continental and oceanic floor ex) n. american plate = n. american continent and western half of atlantic ocean. Indian-australian plate = continental rocks of india, australia and oceanic floor. Rates of 2-18 cm/yr quite slow, but with perspective of geological time in terms of million years, rates of 100"s of km/million years means entire oceans can be destroyed in tens millions years. Map of epicenter of significant earthquake, m > 3. 5. Active boundaries marked by zones of earthquakes and volcanoes. Earthquakes closely associated with active plate boundaries. N. america: main mountain belts stretch from alaska to northwest n. america all the way to south along western edge of n. and s. america. Topography of ocean floors is very irregular, including what would be high mountain chains and deep canyons (if they weren"t covered by water)