Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Question: Describe in detail the three theories that were the predecessors to plate tectonic theory. Provide evidence of how features of the surface support the current, theory of plate tectonics describing the ways the tectonic plates interact and the result of their interactions. The Continental Drift Theory The Continental Drift can help the surface support the current by plowing through ocean basins. It also did not include seafloor spreading or subduction. So, that did not cause an…

The plate tectonic theory was developed in the 1960’s and it is extremely important to have a fond understanding of as it is an explanation of the amazing scientific feats that have happened and are still happening in our world today. For example, it explains why the land we stand on is in its place, how volcanoes, tsunamis and mountains are formed and many more scientific phenomenon. This theory is that the outer shell of Earth is separated into multiple plates, which are floating on the mantle…

At about 9.30 on August 21, 1986, rumbling sounds lasting 15-20 seconds brought people out of their Cameroon homes in the small village of Nios. Not minutes after, a lethal gas cloud pooled out of nearby Lake Nyos and spread over the town. People reported smelling an odor like rotten eggs or gunpowder, felt a warm feeling, and quickly lost consciousness. Survivors, who woke 6-36 hours, felt disoriented and weak, and found that their friends and family were all dead. About a day later began the…

india to record data, Fortunately, samples from both the bottom and top of this volcanic layer contained zircon, allowing the team to pinpoint the timing of the beginning and end of the Deccan Traps eruptions. During the time of the volcanos erupting, over 10,000 volcanos erupted and because of all of this the volcanic dust blocked the sun and because of the sunlight being blocked then had the earth get less oxygen than having the dinosaurs then suffocate because the volcanic dust lowered the…

different from now is the Andean Volcanic Belt. This group of volcanoes are located near the western coast of South America, near the Andes mountains. From the Volcano Map, it can be seen that there is a large array of volcanos in certain spots of western South America. I believe that this particular formation will continue to form more and more volcanos as time goes by. This would most likely happen because of the subduction boundary going on (South American plate is continental, Nazca Plate is…

The above diagram illustrates the volcanic activity on Venus, it indicates how activity this planet has been and still is. There is no evidence of plate tectonics on Venus along with no long linear volcano chains. There are also no clear subduction zones. Rifts are very common on Venus and they look much like the mid-ocean ridges on Earth. Volcanoes on Venus are much more regional and less organized then here on Earth. Volcanoes on Venus seem to have simple and fewer eruptive styles than the…

African and Eurasian plate. It was formed because the African plate subducted under the Eurasian plate. It has explosive types of eruptions from its 3 summit crater and the lava is pahoehoe. Mt. Etna has the longest recorded eruption history of any volcano. Its most destructive and violent eruption happened in 1669, when the lava decimated 14 towns and villages, leaving 27,000 people homeless. In 1669, it was distinct that Mt. Etna was progressing to erupt. It had…

Mid ocean ridges is the creation of the motion diverging plates and it is an underwater mountain range which are formed by plate tectonics. It consist of mountains linked together, having a valley running along the spine, and its known as an oceanic spreading center which is in charge of the seafloor spreading. New seafloor is being produced when convection currents rise in the mantle layer which is under the oceanic crust, it then create magma that cools down into basalt where two plates is…

A lot of things happened in 1977- The Atari 2600 gaming system was released, Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 39th U.S president, and NASA launched Voyager 1. But something else happened, a huge breakthrough for the marine science world. An expedition to the Galápagos Rift revealed hydrothermal vents, and along with it new and unknown creatures that somehow has survived in very harsh conditions. Hydrothermal vents are most commonly found along mid-oceanic ridges, such as the Mid-Atlantic…

Ever since I was a little kid, earthquakes have mesmerized me. I have always just been absolutely amazed about the amount of destruction they cause and how powerful they are. Although I have never thought of becoming a seismologist, it something I would want to learn more about. A seismologist studies seismic waves, energy waves caused by rock suddenly breaking apart within the earth or slipping of tectonic plates. There are many ways that scientists are able to study seismic ways and…