TODAYs LECTURE:

1) Earths internal
heat engine. 2) Earths magnetic field. 3) Intro. to Seismology: Tools for seeing into the Earths interior. (Chaps. 2-4)

Convection in the Mantle Drives Plate Tectonics! But how?

Earths internal heat engine

3 reasons for internal heat:

1) from impact during Earth formation 2) radioactive decay of uranium, thorium, potassium 3) heat released as inner core forms

Ways to transfer heat:

1) conduction - motion of atoms

2) convection - mass movement of material

Density:
Defined as the mass of a material, per unit volume. Usually given in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).

For comparison, the density of water is 1.0 g /cm3.

Earths internal heat engine

Hot materials are less dense and rise. Cooler materials are denser and sink.

Convecting materials in the Earths mantle originate deep, near the core-mantle boundary

Most heat from the deep interior is transferred to the shallow mantle by buoyant masses of hot, low density material called plumes.

Plumes Create Volcanic Hotspots

Hawaiian Islands

Earths internal heat engine

Cold down-going material

See: MantleUpwelling.MOV

Hot upwelling Material

See: MantleDownwelling.MOV
.

Earths internal heat engine

See: MantleConvection.MOV

Heat of the upper mantle sets up shallow convection cells that drive plate motions.

There are Three Basic Plate Margin Types: Can You Identify Them?

See Video: EarthOceanFloors.MOV

Consequences of Plate Motions: Mountain Building

Volcanic Activity

Mt. Mayon, Philippines

Consequences of Plate Motions: Earthquakes!

Convection Also Drives Deep Seafloor Hydrothermal Systems

Earths magnetic field:

The magnetic field is generated by an

organized flow of electrons in the molten outer core.

Earths magnetic field is a dipole with north and south ends of opposing polarity. The magnetic poles and geographic (rotational) pole are offset by 23.50

Earth-Sun Interactions:
(See: Bio_North_America.MOV & Aurora.Mov)

Earths magnetic field:

Lines of magnetic force are ~parallel to the Earths surface at the equator, but are vertically at the poles.

Earths magnetic field

Naturally-occurring magnetic mineral grains, like the mineral magnetite, act as tiny bar magnets and become oriented parallel to the field lines of the Earths magnetic field

Moon: No magnetic field.

No molten outer

MARS: Had a magnetic field early in its history, but not today. How do we know? Remnant magnetism!

Magnetic Reversals:
Earths magnetic field reverses its polarity on an irregular time scale of a few tens of thousand to hundreds of thousands of years. (see MagFieldRev.MOV)

Magnetic reversals are recorded in igneous rocks by the remnant field orientations frozen into by the magnetic minerals (e.g. magnetite) that crystallize from magma as it cools.

Magnetic reversals can be dated!

This is accomplished by using radiometric dating methods to date igneous rocks that preserve the remnant magnetism.