GUIDE QUESTIONS

(Lectures 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Lecture 3: Plate Tectonics

1. What is the continental drift theory? Who proposed it?
2. What are the lines of evidence of the continental drift theory? What are its flaws?
3. Explain Harry Hess’ seafloor spreading concept. How did it support the Continental Drift
Theory?
4. What is the Plate Tectonics Theory? (Recall the different mechanical layers of the Earth and
how it is significant to the theory).
5. What are the three type of plate boundaries? For each boundary, familiarize the
(a) stress type
(b) associated features (e.g. volcanic arcs, mountain range, etc.)
(c) distribution
(e) examples (e.g. Himalayas for continental collision)
6. What are the different evidences of plate motion? (e.g. hotspots)
7. Philippine Tectonics

Lecture 4: Minerals and Rocks

1. What are minerals?
2. What are the different physical properties used to identify minerals?
3. What are the 8 most abundant elements in Earth’s continental crust? [1]
4. What are silicate minerals? How are silicates classified? Familiarize the structure of each silicate
group and how the structures change as temperatures change [2]
5. What are examples of common rock-forming minerals and common non-silicate ore
minerals?[3]

Lecture 5: The Rock cycle

1. Draw a diagram of the rock cycle. Take note of the
(a) materials (e.g. rock type)
(b) processes (e.g. crystallization)
(c) tectonic environments where these processes occur

Lecture 6: Igneous Rocks and Processes

1. What are igneous rocks?
2. What are the components of magma?
3. How are magmas classified? What factors affect the viscosity of magma?
-focus on trends! (SiO2 content, Temperature, abundance of relevant ions, etc)
4. What are the different magma types based on silica content? [4]
5. Under what special circumstances is magma formed and where on Earth (tectonic
environments) do they occur?
(a) increase in temperature
(b) decrease in pressure
(c) addition of volatiles
5. What is magmatic differentiation? Explain the different processes responsible for the variation
of magma composition.
6. What are the different textures of igneous rocks? Different rocks based on composition? What
can we infer based on (a) texture and (c) composition?

prepared by MABJajalla
1st Sem AY 2019-2020
 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
[1] Most abundant elements in Earth’s crust

[2] Silicate structures (take note of how the Si-O tetrahedra are linked together © Tarbuck et. al)

prepared by MABJajalla
1st Sem AY 2019-2020
[3] video: ‘From ore to more: the story of Copper”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq1W5Noi3Sk&t=8s

[4] Common igneous rocks

prepared by MABJajalla
1st Sem AY 2019-2020