Category: Regional Specifics

How are marker fossils used to define subdivisions of the geologic time scale?

index fossil, any animal or plant preserved in the rock record of the Earth that is characteristic of a particular span of geologic time or environment. A useful index fossil must be distinctive or easily recognizable, abundant, and have a wide geographic distribution and a short range through time. How are marker fossils used to

What plate boundary was the Christchurch earthquake on?

Tectonic setting & Cause Regardless, the earthquake was created along a conservative plate margin where the Pacific Plate slid past the Australian Plate in the opposite direction. The earthquake occurred on a fault running off this major plate boundary. What type of boundary was the 2011 Christchurch earthquake? A group of dextral strike-slip structures, known

What geologic feature is shown off the west coast of North America?

On the West coast of North America, the coast ranges and the coastal plain form the margin, which is partially bounded by the San Andreas Fault, a transform boundary of the Pacific Plate. Most of the land is made of terranes that have been accreted onto the margin. What are the geological features of North

How many years ago were the Galapagos Islands formed?

between 3 million and 5 million years agobetween 3 million and 5 million years ago, the islands are “young” in geologic time. Not unlike Hawaii, the islands are located over an area of particularly hot mantle that in essence burns through earth’s crust, creating volcanic activity. How long did it take for the Galapagos Islands

How does climate change affect the Rocky Mountains?

In the Rocky Mountain Region and elsewhere, climate change can affect a wide range of environmental conditions, including precipitation levels, drought and flooding frequency, soil moisture, invasive species, beetle and disease infestations and other factors. How does climate affect mountains? The temperature gets colder the higher up the mountain you go. This is because as

What does a glacial moraine look like?

If a glacier melts, supraglacial moraine is evenly distributed across a valley. Ground moraines often show up as rolling, strangely shaped land covered in grass or other vegetation. They don’t have the sharp ridges of other moraines. What is the shape of a moraine? Moraines are landforms composed of glacial till deposited primarily by glacial

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