Final Review Questions: Plate tectonics What are plates? How do we know that they are moving? What are the “4 basic” tenets of plate tectonics? Why are they important or useful? What is the difference between plate kinematics and plate dynamics? What are the advantages and limitations of the different geodetic techniques for measuring plate motions? How are seafloor magnetic anomalies measured? What is a simple mathematical model that is used to explain them? What formation scenarios would maximize or minimize the intensity of the anomalies? How old is the oldest seafloor? What is the significance of this age? How do we know the age of the seafloor? What do we learn from maps of seafloor age and how is this relevant to understanding continental tectonics?

What is an earthquake? Why does it need to be “fast”? How are they modeled mathematically? Why do earthquakes occur? Where do earthquakes occur? What is the seismogenic zone? Interplate, Intraplate -- how deep? Where do the biggest earthquakes occur and why? What are aftershocks? What are Omori’s and B  th’s laws? How frequently do earthquakes occur? What is the Gutenberg-Richter relation? Why are there different magnitude scales? How do earthquakes help us learn about the Earth? Final Review Questions: earthquakes

Final Review Questions: magnetic field How can a magnetic field be generated? How is the Earth’s magnetic field generated? How do we know? What can we learn about the magnetic field of the Earth by studying other planets? Describe some basic properties of the Earth’s magnetic field. How important is the dipole vs. non-dipolar fields? How important are the fine details of the field generated at the core to observations made at the surface? How frequently does the Earth’s magnetic field reverse? Why? What happens to the field during a reversal? How do we know? How are the reversals of the magnetic field useful to various geologists? What types of rocks can record the Earth’s magnetic field? How (and when) does this work? What are primary and secondary magnetization? How are they formed? How can we differentiate between the two? Who cares?

Final Review Questions: temperature in the lithosphere What does a thermal diffusion equation look like? Generally, how does lithospheric thickness vary with age of a plate? How does depth of the ocean floor vary with age? How does heat flow of the ocean vary with age? What types of processes controls the details of these features? What does a geotherm look like in the lithosphere with and without radioactive heat? What elements dominate the radioactive heat generated? Who cares?

Final Review: Terms to know Define the following terms and explain their importance: Magnetic DeclinationFree decay time (or Ohmic dissipation) Magnetic Inclinationmagnetic diffusivity Seismic momentPoloidal and toroidal magnetic fields Surface wave magnitudemagnetosphere Moment magnitude scale Body wave magnitude Local (Richter) magnitude Virtual geomagnetic pole Euler pole Geodesy Triple junction Transform fault Focal mechanism Axial geocentric dipole hypothesis Magnetic Reynolds number Dynamo or geodynamo Curie temperature Diamagnetism vs. paramagnetism vs. ferromagnetism