GEOS1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Plate Tectonics, Metamorphic Rock, Water Cycle

• School: University of Sydney
• Department: Geosciences
• Course: GEOS1001
• Professor: bill pritchard

Document Summary

Geology is the scientific study of the earth. Geological investigations indicate that the earth is changing because of internal and surficial processes. Internal processes are probably driven mostly by convection currents within the earth"s (cid:373)a(cid:374)tle. Surfi(cid:272)ial pro(cid:272)esses are (cid:272)aused (cid:271)y solar e(cid:374)ergy a(cid:374)d gra(cid:448)ity. I(cid:374)ter(cid:374)al forces cause the crust of the earth to move. Plate tectonic theory visualizes the lithosphere (the crust and uppermost mantle) as broken into plates that move relative to each other. The plates are moving away from spreading centers usually located at the crests of mid-oceanic ridges where new rust is being created. Plates are moving toward boundaries with other plates. Continuous convergence may result in one plate being overridden and forced back into the mantle while the other plate is deformed into mountains. The earth"s surfa(cid:272)e is (cid:272)o(cid:374)sta(cid:374)tly (cid:271)ei(cid:374)g altered (cid:271)y air a(cid:374)d (cid:449)ater i(cid:374) (cid:373)otio(cid:374).