Ocean Basin Depth Profile - Assignment Example

Ocean Basin Profile March, EAPS 10000 Y01 Planet Earth online Homework Assignment #4 (30 points) Ocean Basin Depth Profile (Trans-Atlantic Ocean Depth Profile – Cape Hatteras, North America to Cape Blanc, Africa) and Interpretation Name: _________________________ Part I – Ocean basin depth profile – Atlantic Ocean basin Objective: Plot a bathymetric (ocean depth) profile across the Atlantic Ocean to examine the typical shape of the ocean basins. This exercise also provides experience with graphing and concepts of scale. Procedure: The table given on the next page contains depth data for a profile across the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Hatteras, North America to Cape Blanc, Africa. Plot the 61 distance and depth points on the attached graph, then connect the dots to form a bathymetric profile or ocean basin topography profile. (If you wish to plot by computer, you can obtain the data at: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/EAS100online/OceanProfileDataTable.xls. You can produce an Excel plot, or use other software, to paste into your Hwk 4 submission. If you plot by computer, please be sure to make the graph look similar to that shown on page 3.) Note that the distance scale is in kilometers and the depth scale is in meters. Thus, the depth data are vertically exaggerated (by a factor of 200) which enhances the subtle features of the ocean basin topography. A plot at true (1 to 1) scale will be provided later to show the actual topography. Vertical exaggeration is useful to display profile data when the horizontal extent of the data is very large and when the profile is relatively smooth. The data that are given in the table are sampled at a large interval (100 km between data points) and, thus, the bathymetric profile is only a rough approximation of the true ocean basin topography. However, the main features of the ocean basin are visible on the graph. A similar graph is shown in Figure 9.15 of L&T, 2014 and L&T, 2011. For additional information, refer to pages 302-312, Lutgens & Tarbuck, 2014 (pages 265-270 of L&T, 2011; pages 250-257, L&T, 2008). Questions: 1. On the graph, label the following features of the ocean basin: continental slope, abyssal plain, mid-Atlantic ridge. 2. What is the approximate ocean depth at the mid-Atlantic ridge and the relief of the ridge (difference in depths, or elevations, between the top of the ridge and the adjacent, relatively flat ocean bottom)? Ocean depth at mid-Atlantic ridge 6200 M Relief (difference in ocean depth between the ridge and the abyssal plain) of the mid-Atlantic ridge 200M 3. What is the approximate slope of the west flank of the mid-Atlantic Ridge (measure the difference in ocean depth along the profile between about 2200 km and 3200 km distance and divide by the difference in distance, 3200-2200 or 1000 km. Be sure that both measurements, differences in depth, and distance, are in the same units, either km or m. The resulting number will be the slope expressed as a ratio. The slope can also be given as a percent or as an angle. (Information (review) on calculating the slope of a line: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/Slope.pdf.) Approximate slope of the west side of the mid-Atlantic ridge _4200 M Dots can be copied and pasted to plot points. Part II – Analyzing the ocean depth and age adjacent to the Mid-ocean ridge. In Part I of this exercise, we examined the depth of the Atlantic Ocean basin and observed the prominent mid-ocean ridge (MOR) near the center of the ocean basin. The MOR is also known to be an area of shallow earthquake and volcanic activity and is interpreted as a spreading center where new oceanic lithosphere is formed. The newly formed oceanic crust and uppermost mantle then moves away from the ridge as part of the plate tectonic processes. The uplift of the MOR is interpreted to be due to rising hot material that forms the new ocean lithosphere. As observed in the ocean profile, the ocean depth increases away from the MOR. This subsidence of the oceanic lithosphere could be cause by cooling of the lithosphere as it moves away from the ridge and area of rising hot material. We can examine this process using ocean crust age and depth data. In the figure below, the age of the oceanic crust for a part of the North Atlantic Ocean is shown by the colors. The bold line is the Atlantic Ocean profile used in Part I. The numbers above the profile to the east of the MOR are interpreted age boundaries in millions of years. The ocean age information is derived from radiometric dating of ocean crust samples from deep drilling, dating of index fossils in sediments overlying the newly-formed crust, and the paleomagnetic reversals time scale. A color version of this map is available at http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/OceanAge2.pdf. Ocean crust ages for a portion of the North Atlantic Ocean (from http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/crustageposter.gif). In the Table on the next page, the first two columns show distance from the ridge and ocean depth. The ocean depth data are the average of the depths on the two sides (west and east of the ridge) of the MOR. Using the distance scale on the OceanAge.pdf image (http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/OceanAge2.pdf, zoom to 130% so that a metric ruler can be used with a scale of 1.0 cm = 200 km), estimate by interpolation the ocean crust age at 100 km increments out to 1200 km from the ridge and record the results in the Table. Then, take the square root of the age data and record the results in the last column. The first two age and square root of age data points, for 0 and 100 km distance, have already been entered in the Table. (If you wish to plot the graphs on pages 5 and 6 using your computer, you can obtain the data [see data Table on page 5] at: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/EAS100online/OceanFloorAgeData.xls. You can produce an Excel plot, or use other software, to paste into your Hwk 4 submission. If you plot by computer, please be sure to make the graphs look similar to those shown on pages 5 and 6.) Depth (m) Age (My) SQRT Age (my)1/2 2500 0 0.00 3100 5 2.24 3850 10 3.16 4200 12 3.46 4550 16 4 4800 20 4.47 5200 22 4.69 5450 25 5 5500 27 5.19 5550 29 5.39 6000 31 5.57 5850 33 5.74 5800 35 5.92 Next, plot the ocean crust age and depth data on the graph below. Use a dot () for each age vs. depth data point. How does the depth change with increasing age? From this graph of depth against age, as the age decreases the depth increases and vice versa  Dots, straight and curved lines can be copied and pasted on graph. Lines can be stretched, etc. On the graph below, plot the square root of age and depth data. Use a dot () for each SQRT (age) vs. depth data point. How does the depth change with increasing SQRT (age)? From this graph sqrt of Age against depth as the age increases, the rate of depth also increases and vice versa.  Dots, straight and curved lines can be copied and pasted on graph. Lines can be stretched, etc. A theoretical cooling model of the oceanic lithosphere can be derived from the theory of the flow of heat through solids. The theory indicates that the ocean depth should increase away from the ridge approximately following the equation: Depth = slope • SQRT (age) + y-intercept. The theory is further explained by the following: “Newly formed oceanic lithosphere moves away from the mid-ocean ridge and cools as it is removed from underlying sources of heat. Cooling has two effects: 1. lithosphere contracts and increases in density; 2. the depth of the lithosphere/asthenosphere boundary is controlled by temperature and cooling causes the lithosphere to increase in thickness away from the mid-ocean ridge. Cooling and contraction of the lithosphere cause a progressive increase in the depth to the top of the lithosphere away from the ridge. This is accompanied by a decrease in heat flow.” (from: http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/soes/teaching/courses/oa405/GY405/handouts/Bending.htm) Draw a “best fit” straight line through the data points in the SQRT (age) vs. Depth graph (above). Calculate the slope and intercept coefficients of the line and record them here (the form of this equation is y = bx + a, where y is depth, b is the slope, x is SQRT(age), and a is the y-intercept). (Information on calculating the slope of a line: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/Slope.pdf.) Depth = _1.25_____ • SQRT (age) + _5200__=___ (Depth is in m, age is in m.y.; put b in the 1st space, a in the 2nd) The SQRT (age) vs. depth data display a straight line relationship that is consistent (in shape and values of the coefficients) with the ocean lithosphere cooling model (and the physics of heat conduction), and thus provides strong evidence supporting the sea floor spreading process and plate tectonics theory. A classic research paper by Parsons and Sclater (1977) first described this relationship. You can view the paper at: http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/~johne/teaching/pdfs/parsons-sclater77.pdf. Read More