Hand Texturing of Soil

Earth’s History and Structure
Do Now
• What are the main compositional layers of

the Earth?
• Crust
• Mantle
• Core
Origin of the Earth
• Earth formed
approximately 4.6 billion
years ago
• Early earth lacked an

atmosphere
• Meteors and Asteroids

bombarded the Earth
Meteor Crater Arizona
Earth’s Interior
• Core
– Made of Iron and Nickel
– Inner Core - solid
– Outer Core - liquid
• Mantle
– Less dense than core
– Iron and Silicates
– Mostly solid
• Crust
– Outermost layer is solid rock.
– Continental – granite
– Oceanic – basalt
Lithosphere
• The outer solid layer of the Earth
• Litho- Rock
• Sphere- Round
Lithosphere
• Consists of continental, oceanic and upper
part of mantle
• Continents composed of granite-type
rock, less dense then oceanic crust
• Oceanic crust formed of basalt; more dense

then continental crust
Asthenosphere
• Located below the Lithosphere
• Enormous heat and pressure
• Rock exhibits Plasticity: ability to flow
• Causes Tectonic Plates to move

Mesosphere
• Located below the Asthenosphere
• “Meso” means middle

Outer Core
• Made of liquid Iron and Nickel

Inner Core
• Made of solid iron and nickel

Do Now
• What is the difference between the Earth’s

lithosphere and asthenosphere.
Earth’s Gravity
• Gravity is the force of attraction due to an

object’s mass
• Determined by mass and distance

between two objects in space
What is the difference between
weight and mass?
• Hint: You would weigh less on the moon,

but your mass is constant.
Weight and Mass
• Weight-Measurement of the pull of gravity

on an object
• Mass-The amount of matter an object is

composed of
Classwork/Homework
• Research how the Earth’s magnetic field is

generated.
• Describe how the magnetic field protects

us from radiation.
Classwork/Homework
• Read 29-32
• Define all Key Terms
• Answer (1-6) on pg. 32
Earth’s Interior
Continental Drift Evidence
• Researchers noted geographic fit of continents
• e.g. Africa and S. America
• Atlantic formed by separation of Africa from S. America
• Seuss, 1885, proposed super continent by studying fossils,

rocks, mountains
• Wegener and Taylor, early 1900’s, proposed continental drift

and Pangaea
• Evidence supporting the idea that the continents had drifted.

– Geographic fit of continents
– Fossils
– Mountains
– Glaciation
Continental Drift
Geographic Fit
• Continents seem to fit together like pieces of a puzzle

Continental Drift
Fossils
• Similar distribution of fossils such as the Mesosaurus

Palisades in North New Jersey
Continental Drift
Mountains
• Mountain ranges match across oceans

Continental Drift
Glaciation
• Glacial ages and climate evidence

Diving between the plates in Iceland
Continental Drift Model
Problems
• Alfred Wegener
– Presented research to
professionals
– Did not provide a

plausible mechanism to
explain how continents
drifted
Seafloor Spreading
• Continental drift reexamined in 1960’s with new
information
• New theory developed – Seafloor spreading
• Supporting evidence for seafloor spreading

– World seismicity
– Volcanism
– Age of seafloor
– Paleomagnetism
– Heat flow
• Theory combining continental drift and seafloor spreading
termed “Plate Tectonics”
Seafloor Spreading
• New sea floor created at the mid-ocean ridge

and destroyed in deep ocean trenches
Evidence for Seafloor Spreading
World Seismicity
• Earthquake distribution matches plate boundaries

Volcanism
• Volcanoes match some plate boundaries; some are

hot spots
Age of Seafloor
• Youngest sea floor is at mid-ocean ridge

• Oldest sea floor away from mid-ocean ridge
Paleomagnetism
• Earth has a magnetic field - Probably caused by rotation of

solid inner core in liquid outer core (both mostly Fe)
• When rocks cool at the Earth’s surface, they record Earth’s
magnetic field (normal or reverse polarity)
Paleomagnetism
• Paleomagnetic studies indicate alternating

stripes of normal and reverse polarity at the
mid-ocean ridge.
Seafloor Spreading
Heat Flow
Seafloor Spreading
Convection Currents
• In 1960, proposed as driving force to move continents

Theory of Plate Tectonics
• John Tuzo Wilson combined ideas of continental

drift and seafloor spreading into “Plate Tectonics”
Principles of Plate Tectonics
• Earth’s outermost layer composed of thin

rigid plates moving horizontally
• Plates interact with each other along their

edges (plate boundaries)
• Plate boundaries have high degree of tectonic

activity
– mountain building
– earthquakes
– volcanoes
Plate Boundaries
Three types
• Divergent
• Convergent
• Transform
Plate Boundaries
Divergent
• Plates move away from each other

• New crust is being formed
Divergent Plate Boundaries
Examples
East African Rift Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge

Plate Boundaries
Convergent
Three Types:
• Ocean-continent
• Ocean-ocean
• Continent-continent
• Plates are moving toward each other

• Crust is being destroyed
Convergent Plate Boundaries
Mount Fuji, Japan Examples
Mount Lassen, California
Andes, South America

Plate Boundaries
Transform
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• Crust is neither created nor destroyed

• Plates slide past one another
Transform Plate Boundaries
Examples
San Andreas Fault
Calexico, California
Carrizo Plains, Central California

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Earth’s History and Structure

• What are the main compositional layers of

• Early earth lacked an

• Meteors and Asteroids

• The outer solid layer of the Earth

• Oceanic crust formed of basalt; more dense

• Located below the Lithosphere

• Enormous heat and pressure

• Rock exhibits Plasticity: ability to flow

• Causes Tectonic Plates to move

• Located below the Asthenosphere

• “Meso” means middle

• Made of liquid Iron and Nickel

• Made of solid iron and nickel

• What is the difference between the Earth’s

• Gravity is the force of attraction due to an

• Determined by mass and distance

• Hint: You would weigh less on the moon,

• Weight-Measurement of the pull of gravity

• Mass-The amount of matter an object is

• Research how the Earth’s magnetic field is

• Describe how the magnetic field protects

• Seuss, 1885, proposed super continent by studying fossils,

• Wegener and Taylor, early 1900’s, proposed continental drift

• Evidence supporting the idea that the continents had drifted.

• Continents seem to fit together like pieces of a puzzle

• Similar distribution of fossils such as the Mesosaurus

• Mountain ranges match across oceans

• Glacial ages and climate evidence

– Did not provide a

• New theory developed – Seafloor spreading

• Supporting evidence for seafloor spreading

• New sea floor created at the mid-ocean ridge

• Earthquake distribution matches plate boundaries

• Volcanoes match some plate boundaries; some are

• Youngest sea floor is at mid-ocean ridge

• Earth has a magnetic field - Probably caused by rotation of

• Paleomagnetic studies indicate alternating

• In 1960, proposed as driving force to move continents

• John Tuzo Wilson combined ideas of continental

• Earth’s outermost layer composed of thin

• Plates interact with each other along their

• Plate boundaries have high degree of tectonic

• Plates move away from each other

East African Rift Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge

• Plates are moving toward each other

Andes, South America

• Crust is neither created nor destroyed

San Andreas Fault

Carrizo Plains, Central California

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