AP Environmental Science
Geological processes - chapter 14
text web site | main class page | Gonzaga home | Power Point presentation with photographs
I. Plate tectonics
A. Structure of the earth’s interior – fig. 14-3
B. Convection cells within the earth’s mantle drive plate movement (fig. 14-3)


the movement of the continents and other evidence
animation of the earth's plates and how they fit
C. Divergent boundaries
1. in ocean - mid-Atlantic ridge
2. on land - rift valleys (Iceland, east
Africa) | photos of the rift valley
 Lake Baikal in Russia is
located on a rift
 a new ocean is forming in
the rift valley of Africa
Plate Tectonics links



tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and
tsunamis

D. Convergent boundaries

1. subduction zone

2. trenches and island/volcano arcs in the
ocean


the Marianas trench is the deepest
spot in the ocean
3. mountain building on land

the Himalayas and the Andes
4. ring of fire

volcanoes
The PaleoMap - an excellent overview
USGS plate tectonics overview
(excellent site with graphics)
Hell's Crust: Our ever-changing
planet: background and animations of plate




this animation shows the breakup of
Gondwana (the supercontinent) and
the formation of the island Seychelles
another animation - overview of plate
tectonics interactions
This shockwave animation allows you
to move around plates and see the
effects
See how "atolls" are built - it's not
tectonics, but an interesting geological
process
Separation of the Seychelles island
chain from Asia
Basic overview of tsunamis and
earthquakes
NOAA tsunami research program
The Earthscope project explores plate
movement in the US









Volcano under the city - explore
volcano "anatomy"
Tsunamis are caused by the
subduction zone along the N.A.
west coast (pictures and
explanation)
more on tsunamis
one of the largest tsanamis on
record struck Lituya Bay, Alaska in
1958
Mt. St. Helens and volcano cam |
Crater Lake in Oregon formed as a
result of a large eruption 1000 years
ago.
Smithsonian Volcano page (links to
a Google Earth interactive of
worldwide volcanoes!!)
Supervolcano (PBS
program/website)
Google-earth earthquake monitor






Tour of National Park System
geological features and Park Service
Geologic Wonders
Geology of New Zealand has lots of
good stuff
Geology of the Colorado Plateau
Geology of the National Parks - 3-D
views | another site
National Park Volcanoes
IcEarth - tour the causes and effects of
various "natural distasters"
E. Transform faults
1. boundary between sections of divergent
plates
2. earthquakes (fig. 14-19, 14-20, 14-21




Images of earthquake damage
Digital world tectonic activity map
USGS earthquake hazards program
Tsnamis - 14-22
II. Non-tectonic processes produce most surface features
A. glaciation





Mystery of the Megaflood - explore geological evidence of post-glacial
flooding in North America
Quiz yourself - identify geological origin of landscapes
Explore glacial features in the National Parks
3-D images of glaciers and other features in national parks (USGS)
The "Driftless Area" is a region in the midwest that was not glaciated
B. mechanical weathering/erosion by wind and water

Explore coastal geology in the National Parks
C. chemical weathering
D. The geologic history of the mid-Atlantic









Geology of Virginia (JMU) | Geology of Virginia (William and Mary)
Virginia Rocks and Ridges
Geologic Features of Maryland | Geology of Maryland
Geology of Rock Creek Park
Satellite image of Maryland and northern VA
National Park Service Nature and Science overviews: Shenandoah |
George Washington Parkway | Mid-atlantic parks geology
Tour the geology of US National Parks
Geology of the National Monuments on the Mall | Geology of the National
Mall and Washington DC
The Tuscarora formation: bedrock of the mid-Atlantic mountains
III. The rock cycle (fig. 14-13)


mineral identification
animation of the rock cycle - with lots of good background info | another animation | an
another
A. igneous rock is formed beneath the earth’s surface in a molten state
B. sedimentary rock forms from sediments weathered off existing rock/soil and
deposited in water

layers of rock can be seen at Sideling Hill, MD
C. metamorphic rock is produced when existing rock is heated enough to change
its form
IV. Soils





"SK worm" answers your soil questions
The soil biology primer is a good overview of the living components of soils
State Soils
Web soil survey - interactive maps give detailed info about local soil conditions
Soils exhibit at the Natural History Museum
A. layers – fig. 12-A, p. 290
1. Surface layer (O horizon) – surface litter
2. A horizon – topsoil – mostly organic (varies with soil type)
3. B horizon – subsoil
4. C horizon – parent material – lies on the bedrock


in desert and near-desert regions, the soil crust is very thin
and fragile. Check out the basics (soil 101) and some
pictures
more about how soils form
B. soil organisms create soil and add nutrients to it
C. soil profiles vary in different biomes and are a determining factor for biome
types
D. soil types (more here - info on the 12 soil "orders", range maps, etc)
1. clay
2. sand
3. silt
4. soils are a mixture of the three types, which results in a complex
assortment of soil texture
5. soils with roughly-equal mixtures are called loams
6. differing properties result from varying combinations of the
three types

soils are important for agriculture, construction, mudslides,
fires, and other things
E. erosion - chap 12
1. three types
2. historical examples - dust bowl
3. seriousness of erosion worldwide – fig. 12-16
4. desertification is a related problem (fig. 12-17)



both of these problems are related to water over-use and
over-grazing by livestock
the Aral Sea provides a frightening example of the worstcase scenario
we will discuss this further with regard to resource use and
food production
5. solutions to soil erosion problems



farming adjustments - p. 304-308
animal and artificial fertilizers can present a host of
problems – more on this when we discuss water pollution
Natural Resource Conservation Service (a program of the
USDA) addresses erosion in the US