What

lies beneath?
Earths origin and internal processes

Earth systems

Earth's origin (theories/hypotheses)

Dynamics of the earth's interior

The globe inside the earth

Mantle plumes and mountains

Plate tectonics

nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/planetary/earth/apollo17_earth.jpg

pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/graphics/Fig1.gif
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Wegener and the migrating continents

CONTINENTAL
DRIFT
Proposed by Alfred Wegener
(early 1900s)

A supercontinent called
Pangaea began breaking apart
into smaller continents about
200 million years ago and
further "drifted" to their
present positions

Evidence: fit of South America

and Africa, fossil evidence, rock
types and geologic features
and ancient climates

pubs.usgs.gov/publications/graphics/Fig2-5globes.gif
www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/animate/A14.gif
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Wegener and the migrating continents

FIT OF CONTINENTS

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Wegener and the migrating continents

FIT OF CONTINENTS

https://fretzreview.wikispaces.com/file/view/pangea.jpg/30701382/pangea.jpg
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Wegener and the migrating continents

FOSSIL EVIDENCE

Africa

India

Australia

South America

Antarctica

A. Mesosaurus aquatic fish-catching reptile; freshwater

B. Glossopteris seed fern; tongue shaped leaves
C. Lystrosaurus land-dwelling reptile
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Wegener and the migrating continents

FOSSIL EVIDENCE

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Wegener and the migrating continents

ROCK TYPES &

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES

www.scienceforsoutherncolorado.com/
module1/part1/smM1P1Fig2.gif

tasaclips.com/illustrations/Evidence_from_rock.jpg

slohs.slcusd.org/pages/teachers/rhamley/Biology/Continental%20Drift/RockFit.jpg

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Wegener and the migrating continents

PALEOCLIMATIC EVIDENCE

paleo = ancient; climatic

= climate

glacial striations &

grooves

http://saulscience.wikispaces.com/Geology

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Wegener and the migrating continents

PALEOCLIMATIC EVIDENCE

www.geology.ohio-state.edu/~vonfrese/gs100/lect25/xfig25_09.jpg

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Wegener and the migrating continents
CONTINENTAL DRIFT

Proposed by Alfred Wegener

(early 1900s)

A supercontinent called
Pangaea began breaking apart
into smaller continents about
200 million years ago and
further "drifted" to their
present positions

Evidence: fit of South America

and Africa, fossil evidence, rock
types and structures, and
ancient climates

Unable to provide an
acceptable mechanism for the
movement of continents
pubs.usgs.gov/publications/graphics/Fig2-5globes.gif
www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/animate/A14.gif

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Tectonics
PLATE TECTONICS
A theory which describes the large scale motions of the Earths
lithosphere

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Tectonics
PLATE TECTONICS

7 MAJOR PLATES

1 North American, 2 South American, 3 Pacific*, 4 African,

5 Eurasian, 6 Australian-Indian, 7 - Antarctic

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Tectonics
PLATE TECTONICS

MINOR PLATES

1 Caribbean, 2 Nazca, 3 Philippine, 4 Arabian, 5 Cocos,

6 Scotia, 7 Juan de Fuca

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Tectonics
PLATE TECTONICS

MINOR PLATES

1 Caribbean, 2 Nazca, 3 Philippine, 4 Arabian, 5 Cocos,

6 Scotia, 7 Juan de Fuca

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Tectonics
PLATE BOUNDARIES

DIVERGENT CONVERGENT TRANSFORM FAULT

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Boundaries: Divergent

DIVERGENT boundaries:
Mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Boundaries: Divergent

DIVERGENT boundaries:
Mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading

Harry Hess (1962)

New seafloor is continually being generated at mid-oceanic ridges and

old, dense seafloor is being consumed at the deep ocean trenches

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Boundaries: Divergent
DIVERGENT boundaries:
Mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Boundaries: Divergent

Earths magnetic field and geomagnetic reversals

Earths magnetic field

Magnetite iron rich mineral

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Boundaries: Divergent
Earths magnetic field and geomagnetic reversals

Geomagnetic_polarity_0-169_Ma.svg.pn

Geomagnetic_polarity_0-169_Ma.svg/

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/
Earths magnetic field
periodically reverses
polarity

Normal magnetic polarity

thumb/c/c0/
rocks exhibit same
magnetism at present

500px-
day magnetic field

g
Magnetic time scale
magnetic polarity +
radiometric age of rocks

Chron - major division; 1

million years

pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/developing.html
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Boundaries: Divergent

DIVERGENT boundaries:
CONTINENTAL RIFTING

Great rift valley

ARABIAN
PLATE

SINAI
PENINSULA

AFRICAN
PLATE

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Boundaries: Convergent

CONVERGENT plate boundaries:

Subduction zones

John Volos

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Tectonics

Plate Boundaries: CONVERGENT

PINATUBO

ANDES

EVEREST

pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html#anchor15039288
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Tectonics

Plate Boundaries: TRANSFORM FAULTS

SAN ANDREAS FAULT

pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html#anchor15039288

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Tectonics

WHAT DRIVES PLATE MOTION?

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Tectonics

WHAT DRIVES PLATE MOTION?

MECHANISMS: slab pull, ridge push, mantle plumes
CONVECTION: whole mantle, two-layer

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Tectonics

WHAT DRIVES PLATE MOTION?

MECHANISMS: slab pull, ridge push, mantle plumes
CONVECTION: whole mantle, two-layer

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate Tectonics

AGES OF CRUSTAL MATERIALS

Wikipedia

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate Tectonics

Volcanism and seismicity:

THE PACIFIC RING OF FIRE

pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/graphics/Fig22.gif

www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/plate/harvard-map.GIF

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate tectonics: Testing the theory

HOTSPOTS: Hawaii

pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html#anchor15039288
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate tectonics: Testing the theory

GEODESY: Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)

SATELLITE RECEIVER

pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html#anchor15039288
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate tectonics: Testing the theory

GEODESY: Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Plate tectonics: Testing the theory

Plate Reconstruction

50 million years
from present

250 million years

from present

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Tectonic setting of the Philippines

Data sources: NASA, NGDC, PHIVOLCS, Tsutsumi and Perez (2012),

2011 N. Ramos

Galgana et al. (2007)

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes

Seismicity of the Philippines

USGS NEIC

B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes
 Plate tectonics

www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ozsvath/images/plate%20tectonics.jpg
B.D. Payot | Geology 1 Our Dynamic Earth What lies beneath: Earths origin and internal processes