Essays on Lithosphere

Hawai'i was the 50th state to join the USA. It comprises 132 islands and is said to be the home of volcanic islands. These islands reside in the Central Pacific Ocean. Moana Loa is one of the top most active volcanoes that had formed the island of Hawaii in the ocean (Networks, 2016). The movement of plate tectonics has resulted in the volcanic eruption and, however, the volcano towering and presence of valleys had a significant impact on the economic value.

Theory of plate tectonics

Plate tectonics theory explains that upper layer of the earth’s surface is segregated into various plates that ...

The continental plate in the eastern part of Asia is composed of various volcanoes and tectonic movements. Most of the volcanic rocks in this region are composed of alkali basalts with signs of continental contamination. There are various models that explain the region’s magmatic evolution. The two most common models used to explain the movements refers to the surficial processes and the other one refers to the deeper processes associated with the Pacific ocean plate. These two processes are antithetic and may hay happen subsequently. The volcanism can be traced by tomographic imaging that can be directly associated ...

Article “Antarctic ice may melt more quickly than expected”

The first article published on CBC news describes the problem of melting of the glaciers in Antarctic. According to the article, it is expected that the sea level would rise by 46 to 86 centimetres by the year of 2100, which is much more that it had been expected before. The scientists identified that the main reasons of this are warmer air, less frigid water and gravity. Moreover, the forecasts also predict that by 2500 the seas might become 13 metres higher, which will be caused only by ice melting. However, as scientists believe, the rise of the sea ...

Question 1

Convection is organized by the circular motion of water flow or air through thermal changes in the density and gravitational attraction, which originate from the source of heat and decrease in the colder outer layers.

Craton is a lithosphere platform with the foundation of Precambrian age.

Earthquake magnitude is a scale characterizing the energy released during an earthquake in the form of seismic waves. Focus is an area of occurrence of underground hits in the earth's crust or upper mantle, resulting in an earthquake. Epicenter – is the central point of the surface of the earthquake focus. Isostasy is hydrostatic equilibrium state of the earth's crust, when the Earth's less dense ...

[Subduction Initiation]

Abstract

The major purpose of this report is to explore the process of subduction initiation by looking at its implications. The initiation of subduction is among the main plate tectonic process hence it comes out as an important subject of study when exploring the geological structure of the Earth. In order to explore all the elements associated with this, the paper is categorized into topics that cover important aspects. First, it is important to study when and why subduction initiation begins since this will give a picture about its relation with plate tectonic movement. It comes out that ...

Impacts of Petroleum Exploration, Extraction and Transport

Oil shale may be defined as those rocks that usually contain a high proportion and percentage of organic matter such as kerogen. Oil shale is mainly characterized by the low calorific value as well high ash and even mineral content. Oil usually produces energy, which serves a very crucial purpose to our planet. Energy is regarded as the lifeblood of the planet earth and its occupants, thereby, being categorized as among the essential commodities that normally powers the intentions to expand the global economy (Burnham, Stubblefield, & Campbell, 1980). In the 1950s, natural gas and oil became the primary sources of liveliness ...

Explain how the outward flow of energy from the Earth’s interior drives the process of plate Tectonics

All the earth processes are a result of energy flow and mass circulation in and outside of the earth system. Plate tectonics is an earth process that involves the movement of the lithosphere caused by internal processes inside the earth’s mantle (Kent C 154). This is as a result of convection currents within the earth’s crust caused by the heat in the crust. This heat in the crust is due to the initial heat during the earth’s formation and through the radioactive process. The earth’s core is made of radioactive elements such as uranium which decay and ...

1) Explain how the outward flow of energy from the Earth’s interior drives the process of plate tectonics?

The outermost layer of earth, or lithosphere, is broken up into tectonic plates. The boundaries of the plates and their movement leads to the formation of earthquakes, volcanic activity, creation of mountains, and the formation of oceanic trenches. Tectonic plates are formed from either oceanic crust or continental crust, with many containing both. The movement of the plates varies from 0-100mm in a given year. The movement of these plates comes from the outward energy of flow that comes from earth’s central core. Radioactivity produced from elements within earth’s core, such as uranium, decay and release energy. The ...

Introduction

Pollution of the environment is one of the oldest problems in the history of civilization. Man has long been considered the environment primarily as a source of resources, seeking to achieve independence from it, to improve the conditions of its existence. While population and the scale of production was small, and very extensive natural spaces, to achieve the goals we were willing to sacrifice some of the untouched nature, exactly as some degree of purity and water. This process in our relatively closed, not unlimited world cannot continue indefinitely. For example, it is estimated that each year for every person ...

Causation of Climate Change

The world’s climate system is composed of five elements that include hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, cry sphere, and biosphere. It varies naturally with time and is dependent on the incoming and outgoing energy which determine the optimal balance of the earth’s energy. These determinants constitute factors that cause climate variation that result in either warmer or colder states. This result into a phenomenon referred to as climate change. This is a condition, in which, the earth experiences adjustments in its weather that occurs over a period. This essay provides a detailed analysis of the causes, characteristics, and the impacts of climate change ...

The hydrological cycle refers to the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the earth. It mainly involves the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, percolation, interception and runoff/overland flows. The main source of energy that drives the cycle is solar energy and therefore the main changes in energy involve changes in temperature. When surface water is heated, it gains energy and changes from liquid state to gaseous state. This results in a cooling effect to the surrounding region (Arctic Climatology and Meteorology) Transpiration also contributes in adding water vapor in the atmosphere; this is referred ...

Introduction

The name diamond owes its origin to Greece. The term is a corruption of the Greek term Adamas, which means the invincible or the unbreakable. In mineralogy, diamond refers to an allotrope of carbons, which is capable of transiting from one state to another. The carbon atoms within the mineral are arranged in a cubic-centered crystal known as the diamond lattice. The diamond mineral has the formula C and exists in Isometric-Hexoctahedral (cubic) crystal system. It is also essential to note that diamond exists in the space group C63/mmc. Diamond exists in different varieties, as distinguished by their colors. Typically, ...

Introduction

This research paper discusses the phenomenon of earthquakes – the geography and distribution of where they occur, and the explanations of the forces and processes involved. The theory explains why they occur more in some places than others and describes related phenomena including volcanic activity.

The Research

The accepted theory of the cause of most earthquakes cites the continuous movements of huge sections of the earth’s crust (known as the lithosphere), which comprises tectonic plates (Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics” 1977), which are further classified as either oceanic or continental plates, dependent on their location on the Earth’s surface: beneath the ...

Introduction

This research paper discusses the phenomenon of earthquakes – the geography and distribution of where they occur, and the explanations of the forces and processes involved. The theory explains why they occur more in some places than others and describes related phenomena including volcanic activity.

The Research

The accepted theory of the cause of most earthquakes cites the continuous movements of huge sections of the earth’s crust (known as the lithosphere), which comprises tectonic plates (Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics” 1977), which are further classified as either oceanic or continental plates, dependent on their location on the Earth’s surface: beneath the ...

The theory of plate tectonics describes the wide­scale movements of the lithosphere of

the earth. The model is based on the ideas of continental drift, which first gained acceptance in the early 1900s. The geoscientific community granted the theory even more validity after the notion of seafloor spreading appeared in the late 1950s. Basically, the lithosphere is not whole but instead is separated into either seven or eight major plates, depending on the definition that you use. Every meeting point between plates has its own relative movement, either transform, convergent or divergent. Volcanic activity, mountain creation and earthquakes all occur along these edges, and the plates ...

Introduction

Tectonic Plate refers to a massive, slab of solid rock that is irregularly shaped, and it is composed of both oceanic and continental lithosphere.

Definitions

Mid-Ocean Ridge refers to an underwater mountain range that forms due to plate tectonics. This structure is formed through two tectonic processes, ridge-push and slab pull that cause the spreading at mid-ocean ridges. Basin and Range topography refers to structure that is characterized by sudden changes in sloping and is alternating in between the narrow chains of faulted mountain and flat arid basins or valleys. They are formed by crustal extension or extensional tectonics. ...

The contribution of Alfred Wegener

William C. McCullough LAIS 370 History of Science Colorado School of Mines Abstract This paper discusses the role of Alfred Wegener in the discovery of the Plates tectonics theory. It is believed that the modern day plate tectonics theory is an advancement of continental drift theory which was discovered by Wegener. The study will seek to explore his efforts and contribution to modern science and how he has helped to shape the world.

Overview

Plate tectonics also known as continental drift theory describes that the earth was at one time many years back a super continent whereby ...