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Physical Geology Spring 2021 Homework #3: Google Earth Volcanoes Exploration

1) The document provides instructions for a geology homework assignment involving the analysis of volcanoes using Google Earth. Students are asked to examine the sizes, shapes, and compositions of volcanoes located in Indonesia, Turkey, and the Galapagos Islands. 2) Additionally, students must measure distances from volcanoes to nearby convergent plate boundaries and calculate the subduction angles of the Juan de Fuca and Pacific tectonic plates based on these measurements. 3) By comparing the subduction angles and ages of the subducting ocean lithosphere at each location, students are meant to hypothesize that older oceanic lithosphere subducts at a steeper angle than younger lithosphere.

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Kien Pham
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279 views4 pages

Physical Geology Spring 2021 Homework #3: Google Earth Volcanoes Exploration

1) The document provides instructions for a geology homework assignment involving the analysis of volcanoes using Google Earth. Students are asked to examine the sizes, shapes, and compositions of volcanoes located in Indonesia, Turkey, and the Galapagos Islands. 2) Additionally, students must measure distances from volcanoes to nearby convergent plate boundaries and calculate the subduction angles of the Juan de Fuca and Pacific tectonic plates based on these measurements. 3) By comparing the subduction angles and ages of the subducting ocean lithosphere at each location, students are meant to hypothesize that older oceanic lithosphere subducts at a steeper angle than younger lithosphere.

Uploaded by

Kien Pham
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physical Geology Spring 2021

Homework #3: Google Earth Volcanoes Exploration


As with assignment 1, you will be using Google Earth to answer the following questions. If you have not
already done so:
Download Google Earth for your Operating system or use the web version. Download and open (all
provided on Blackboard and TEAMS)
 Volcano Homework kmz file
 Google Earth plate boundary file from the United States Geological Survey (used for Homework 1)
Suggestion: turn off “Micro Plates and Major Fault Zones”
 Age of the Lithosphere Google Earth file from Earthbyte (used for Homework 1)
Suggestion: turn off all layers except the three Ocean layers (Scale, Isochrons, and Isocontours)

1) Navigate to Mt. Lewotolo in southeast Indonesia


a) Describe the size and shape of the volcano by answering the following questions (1 pt each):

 Relief of the volcano (in meters) (relief = elevation at top – elevation at base) (show work):

elevation at top: 1431 meters


elevation at base: 850 meters
relief = elevation at top – elevation at base = 1431 – 850 = 581 meters
 Width of volcano at base (in meters): 2330 meters
 Average slope of volcano ((relief ÷ ½width)*100): 49.8

b) Using the lecture on volcanoes, speculate on the volcano type, based on your observations (size and
shape). (2 pts)
stratovolcano
c) Using the information in the Volcanos lecture, describe the likely composition (mafic, intermediate, or
felsic) of this volcano. (1 pt)
Since this volcano is a stratovolcano, it mainly contains pyroclastic deposits and andesitic
(intermediate) lava flows.
2) Navigate to Kula Volcanic Field in Turkey. Go to the most recent volcano (i.e. the darkest one in the
group-marked in homework KMZ file)
a) Describe the size and shape of the volcano by answering the following questions (1 pt each):

 Relief of the volcano (in meters) (relief = elevation at top – elevation at base) (show work):

elevation at top: 870 meters


elevation at base: 750 meters
relief = elevation at top – elevation at base = 870 - 750 = 120 meters
 Width of volcano at base (in meters): 760 meters
 Average slope of volcano ((relief ÷ ½width)*100): 31.6

b) Using the lecture on volcanoes, speculate on the volcano type, based on your observations (size and
shape). (2 pts)
Cinder cone volcano
c) Using the information in the Volcanos lecture, describe the likely composition (mafic, intermediate, or
felsic) of this volcano. (1 pt)
Since this volcano is cinder cone, it was formed mainly of basaltic (mafic) pyroclastic material.

3) Navigate to Mt. Fernandian in the Galapagos Islands


a) Describe the size and shape of the volcano by answering the following questions (1 pt each):

 Relief of the volcano (in meters) (relief = elevation at top – elevation at base) (show work):

elevation at top: 1475 meters


elevation at base: 0 meters (at sea level)
relief = elevation at top – elevation at base = 1475 – 0 = 1475 meters
 Width of volcano at base (in meters): 29520 meters
 Average slope of volcano ((relief ÷ ½width)*100): 10

b) Using the lecture on volcanoes, speculate on the volcano type, based on your observations (size and
shape). (2 pts)
Shield volcano
c) Using the information in the Volcanos lecture, describe the likely composition (mafic, intermediate, or
felsic) of this volcano. (1 pt)
Since this volcano is a shield volcano, it mainly formed out of basaltic (mafic) lavas.
VOLCANOES AND PLATE BOUNDARIES:
4) Measure the distance (in kilometers) from Mt Adams (a volcano) in northern Orogen to the convergent plate
boundary off the coast (make sure to use the plate boundary layer). (1 pt)
Distance: 322.4 kilometers

Geologic research has shown that fluids from subducting slabs are generally released into the overlying mantle
at depths of ~100 km resulting in wet melting of the peridotites. Assuming the volcanoes of the pacific
northwest lie directly above this depth, calculate the angle (in degrees-make sure your calculator isn’t in
radians mode) that the subducting Juan de Fuca tectonic plate makes with the surface as it is subducted (see
diagram below – yay geometry!!). (2 pts)

Subduction Angle: 17.2 degrees

100 km
Subducting Angle=tan−1 ( distance ¿
volcanoe ¿ plate boundary ¿ )

5) Moving across the Pacific Ocean, go to the volcano Kuntomintar (an island between Japan and the
Kamchatka peninsula of Siberia). Measure the distance (in kilometers) between the volcano and the
convergent plate boundary to the southeast. (1 pt)

Distance: 173.8 kilometers

As with Mt. Adams, assuming that the volcanoes lie above the area where the subducted Pacific plate reaches
100 km depth, calculate the angle (in degrees) that the Pacific plate is subducting. (2 pts)

Subduction Angle: 29.9 degrees


6) Subduction angle and Ocean Lithosphere Age

a) Briefly compare the angle of subduction of the two tectonic plates (i.e. are they the same, different, and if
different how): (2 pts)

The angle of subduction of Mt Adams is smaller than that of the volcano Kuntomintar because Mt Adams
has longer distance to the convergent plate, so when I plugged it in the subducting angle formula, I got the
smaller angle.

b) Looking at the age of the oceanic lithosphere that is being subducted at each location (i.e. the Juan de
Fuca and Pacific plates respectively), what is different about the two subduction zones? (2 pts)
Age of the oceanic lithosphere of the Juan de Fuca plate: Less than 10 million years ago.
Age of the oceanic lithosphere of the Pacific plate: About 110 million years ago.

The Pacific plate is relatively older than the Juan de Fuca plate.

c) Based on the observed relationships, what hypothesis could you draw of the relationship between
subduction angle and age of subducting oceanic lithosphere? (2 pts)

Older subducting oceanic lithosphere subducts more steeply than younger ones since they are thicker,
more dense, and have lost buoyancy.

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