Wegner\'s evidence was sound, but most geologist at the time (1912) rejected his

Question

Wegner's evidence was sound, but most geologist at the time (1912) rejected his hypothesis and his ideas were nearly forgotten until the 1950s when what kind of new evidence supporting his hypothesis became known?

How do scientists surmise that the core is metallic?

Earth has a magnetic field which is generated by more dense metallic materials.

What is another name for a volcanic hot spot?

mantle plume

How is stress defined in the geosciences?

the human stress caused by earthquakes and volcanoes

Normal faults can be hug and are often times responsible for uplifting __________ ___________ in regions experiencing tensional stress.

entire continents

Rocks that experience stress usually do what?

all the answers provided for this question are correct'

What does biological weathering depend on?

a warm, wet climate

Chemical weathering increases under what condition(s)?

temperate climate

What is the cause of fast subsidence in a limestone rock environment?

Explanation / Answer

A) Studies of magnetic polarity of different aged rocks on the same continent. The new evidence supporting Wegener's hypothesis that came to be known in the 1950s was the studies of magnetic polarity of different aged rocks on the same continent. His hypothesis was controversial and not accepted widely until the 1950s when paleomagnetism provided strong support in favour of continental drift. B) Both the answers dealing with 1 and 2 are correct. Scientists surmise that the core is metallic from both the clues about the Earth's core hthat is it has a higher density than the crustal rock and the Earth has a strong magnetic field. As the inner core spins faster than its outer core, streams of flowing molten iron helps to produce the magnetic field that surrounds Earth. D) Mantle plume. Another name for a volcanic hotspot is mantle plumes. Hotspots are mainly due to the mantle plumes tjat rise as thermal diapirs from the core-mantle boundary. A hotspot is a surface expression of the mntle plume. In geosciences, stress is defined as the force per unit area that is placed on a rock. Stresses can be confining, compressional, tensional or shear stresses. Normal faults can be huge and are often at times responsible for uplifting mountain ranges which are more commonly known as fault block mountains. They often result from rifting and can be small or form extensive rift valley systems. D) All the answers provided for this question are correct. Rocks that experience stress can response in either of the three ways: It can deform elastically(elastic deformation) - In this case the rock returns to its original shape and size when the stress is removed. It can undergo plastic deformation when the rock does not return to its original shape after removing the stress. Lastly the rock can fracture. Thus rocks respond to stress differently under different conditions. B) All of the answers provided are correct. Biological weathering depends upon rapidly growing or multiplying bacteria because they grow on the surface of the rocks and produce organic chemicals that are capable of breaking down the outer layer of the rock by altering the rock's chemical composition. Many vegetation types penetrate into the soil and their roots get bigger, they exert pressure on the rocks creating wide cracks that eventually deepen finally disintegrating the rocks. A warm and wet or a moist climate favours biological weathering as it favours the chemical and physical breakdown of the rock surfaces Chemical weathering increases under warm temperatures and heavy precipitation. High temperatures and greater rainfall increases the rate of chemical weathering drastically. The main cause of fast subsidence in a limestone rock environment is the naturally acidic water which dissolves the rocks beneath the surface creating water filled caves. It results from the excavating underground water on massive soluble limestone.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse W
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.