Plate Tectonics 1
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Transcript Plate Tectonics 1
Theory of
Plate Tectonics
Mission 1
Optical and infrared photography: photo images
Magnetometer: magnetic field
Gravimeter: gravity field
Important discoveries:
Earth is volcanically active.
A prominent magnetic field that is roughly aligned with the planet’s
spin axis.
A very dense core (probably) consisting of iron and nickel.
Closer, baby, closer…
Mission 2
Radar altimeter: topography
Passive microwave
radiometer: temperature
Important discoveries:
Linear topographic features on land.
Variations in the height of the ocean above and below the ideal
ellipsoidal shape.
Prominent lows offshore of arcuate island chains.
Note: an ellipse Earth = Equatorial radius about 20 km > polar
radius; actual ocean surface (geoid) bulges outward and inward by
up to 100 m (highest north of Australia; lowest south of India)
The Geoid
The major trench systems have obvious impacts on
the geoid, as well as the topography/ocean
boundaries.
The Hawaiian Island chain may be followed up
through its transition into the Emperor Seamounts and
toward the western end of the Aleutian Islands;
Seamount patterns east of the Marianas Trench.
The geoid low near the southern tip of India and the
geoid high over New Guinea (north of Australia) stand
out.
Modified after Smith, D.A. (2000)
So close…
Mission 3
Improved equipment:
radar altimeter,
camera and magnetometer
Important discoveries:
Coastline match across the
Atlantic Ocean.
Linear anomalies extends from
both sides of the Atlantic.
Center of the Atlantic shows
gravity ridges and troughs that are perpendicular to fracture zones.
Almost there…
Mission 4
Seismometers:
earthquake foci
Important discoveries:
Earthquakes are distributed along discrete zones.
Earthquakes occur down to 650 km beneath the surface.
Shallow earthquakes occur along the oceanic ridges and virtually
no earthquakes occur off the ridge.
Contact…
Mission 5
Robot survey ship carrying a
sonar, magnetometer, and
equipment to measure the
property and chemistry
of the ocean
Important discoveries:
A narrow axial ridge (up to 500 m tall) is superimposed on a broad
rise where the average depth is 2.5 km.
There is a symmetric deepening of the ridge axis as a function of
distance from the the axial high.
Long stripes of magnetic anomalies parallel to the ridge axis.
Stripes are symmetrically spaced on both sides of the ridge axis.
Geopoetry by Harry Hess
Curious coincidences in the
paleomagnetic patterns
The temperature of the crust recording the magnetic stripes must
be cold enough (which precludes Venus’ surface temperature) and
the stripes must be locked within the upper 2 km (too thick and
signature superimposition occurs).
The depth to the ocean floor is ideal for recording magnetic stripes
that have widths (2 * pi * depth) similar to those observed in the
world’s oceans (boats towing magnetometers would record the
stripes but orbiting satellites wouldn’t).
To attain this width, the reversal rate must be between 2.5 – 0.3
million years (taking into account the known half-spreading rates of
10-80 km per million years).
The rate of separation of continents agrees with the rate of seafloor spreading.
References/Sources of materials
Earth’s geoid: Map and description originally from the National Geodetic Survey. Geoid
diagram currently @
http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/website/so432web/GeoidMap.htm
Earth's gravity field: Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), joint NASAGerman Aerospace Center mission, @ http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/
Earth’s magnetic field @ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/windows.html
Earth’s topography and bathymetry: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
@ http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/2minrelief.html
Satellite images of Pinatubo and Mayon:National Aeronautics Space Administration
(NASA) @ http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/
Smith, D.A., 2000. Gravity and the Geoid at NGS. Presented at the 2000 Geodetic
Advisor Convocation, Maryland, U.S.A.
University of Leeds, United Kingdom
United States Geological Survey @www.usgs.gov