EARTH SCIENCE

Grade 11

Deformation of the Earth’s Crust

(Diastrophism)

Continental-Drift Theory

This theory was proposed by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist

and geophysicist in 1915. According to Wegener, 200 million years
ago[approx.] there was only a single continent called Pangaea located at the
center of the earth near the equator. This continent broke up into pieces and
moved very slowly away from each other. The pieces formed the continents
of today. As the continents moved slowly, they collided and rubbed against
each other forming different surface features of today.

Wegener and his supporters gather substantial evidences to prove their

claims. These include:

a. The similarity between the coastlines of Africa and South America. The
two continents according to Wegener can fit together like a jigsaw
puzzle.
b. The similarity in the fossil remains of plants and animals of the
continents separated by vast oceans. Records show that it is
impossible for these animals to have made the long journey across the
vast bodies of water separating the continents nor seed dispersal to
have occurred successfully.
c. The rock type and mountain belts of the continents would closely
match each other in age and type. Further evidence shows that several
mountainous belts which appear to terminate in the coastline reappear
again on a landmass across the ocean.

Theory of Seafloor Spreading

This theory was proposed by Harry Hess, an American geophysicist, in

1959.

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Using an echo-sounding device like sonar, it has been proven that the
ocean floor is not at all flat and smooth. The ocean floor is discovered to be
composed of huge mountain ranges called mid-oceanic ridges. At the middle
of the ridge, running along its length is a break or rift from where basaltic
magma wells out to the surface. The basaltic magma hardens and forms a
new crust. The new crust pushes the old crust away from the ridge causing
the ocean floor to spread. This caused the continents to break and drift apart
from each other. The discovery of the mid-oceanic ridges supported the idea
of the continental-drift and that they are remnants of the continents that
broke and drifted apart.

The formation of the new crust does not mean that the earth’s
diameter is expanding. Scientist explain that as a new crust is being formed
within the mid-oceanic ridge, elsewhere on earth, the old crust is being
destroyed at the same rate that it is created. The place where the old crust is
being destroyed is being destroyed is called the subduction zone. In the
subduction zone, the old crust is plunge into a high temperature and a high-
pressure environment. Thus, some materials melt and may migrate upward
causing volcanoes to activate and erupt.

Plate Tectonics Theory

This theory explains how the surface features of the earth are built and
torn down. According to this theory, the continents and ocean floors are
located on plates that move over the earth. These plates vary in thickness,
from 75 to 100 km thick, the thinnest of which is found in the ocean floor.
Each plate consists of the continental crust on top of an oceanic crust and
the upper part of the mantle or of an oceanic crust on top of an upper
mantle. The plate float on the part of the lower mantle that is weak, plastic,
and capable of flowing.

The plates move slowly. Plate tectonics are caused by convection

currents in the lower mantle. As the magma from the lower mantle rises and

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spreads laterally, the plates are set in motion. As the plates move, land
masses are bent, buckled, and thrusted.

EFFECTS OF DIASTROPHISM

FOLDING

When the crust crumples or wrinkles or the crust is bent or buckled

due to sideward pushes or compressions. Folding is a slow process. The
forces are weak that the materials of the crust since they are plastic under
heat and pressure, yield to these forces. The crest or the part of the fold that
buckled upward is called anticline and may form into mountains, hills or
ridges. The trough or the part of the fold that bend downward is called
syncline and may form into valleys.

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Fig. 1

As the crust is crumpled, the rock beds or strata become tilted.

Mountain ranges are formed by folding. However, mountains may also be
formed by magma intrusions. This happens when upward forces cause the
magma below to move and fill spaces between rock layers thereby causing
the surface to bulge forming hills and mountains.

FAULTING

When large cracks or fractures form in the crust due to tension. The
tensional forces go beyond the elastic limit of the crust that it yielded to the
stress by breaking. Fault is a fracture in a rock surface caused either by
squeezing or by stretching of the crust.

In some instances, huge parallel faults develop in the crust. The blocks
of rocks between the faults sink due to downward forces. The sunken area is
called a graben which may result in the formation of rift valley. The Dead Sea
which is filled with salty water is an example of a graben valley.

Sometimes instead of sinking, the blocks of rocks between faults rise

due to upward forces. The risen area is called a horst which may become a
plateau. [Fig. 2]

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Fig. 2

1. What causes the plates to move?

A. induction

B. convection

C. gravitational
pull

D.
electromagnetism
2. What is the continental drift theory?

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EARTH SCIENCE
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A. the belief that continents are moving slowly together from their current
locations on Earth 

B. the belief that continents have moved slowly apart to their current locations
on Earth

C. the belief that continents have always been located at their current locations
on Earth

D. the belief that continents have quickly moved apart to their current
locations on Earth
3. It is the fracture in a rock surface caused either by squeezing or by stretching
of the crust, ________________

A. fault

B. tilting

C. folding

D.
earthquake
4. What would most likely form when the crust crumples and wrinkles due to
sideward pushes or compressions?
 

A. valleys

B. seas

C. plateaus

D.
mountains
5. It is the outermost layer of the earth which consists all the crust and top most
layer of the mantle.

A. hydrosphere

B.
asthenosphere

C. mesosphere

D. lithosphere
6. Which of the following statements is true about the sea floor spreading?

A. the theory of seafloor spreading that the seafloor is expanding

B. Using a sonar device, they found that the ocean floor are composed of
ocean mountains

C. the place where the new crust form is called the subduction zone

D. it was discovered by Harry Hess

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EARTH SCIENCE
Grade 11