Eric Calais (Purdue University), Ming Wang (Institute for Geology and Earthquake Science, China) and Zenghang Shen (IGES) are using GPS data to record the movement of surface locations in the area where the Indian and Eurasian plates are in collision. Some of their data is shown in the map below.
Map illustrating horizontal surface motions of sites in Asia, determined with the use of global positioning systems, in response to collisions of the underlying tectonic plates. |
The movement patterns in this data alone are interesting but Calais, Wang and Shen are using them to learn if
lithospheric plates behave in a strong and rigid manner or in a weak and viscous manner. The answer is surprising and you can read more at the
Purdue Website.
Labels: GPS-GIS, Plate-Tectonics
Hobart King, publisher of Geology.com, will make a presentation titled: "Teaching Plate Tectonics With Easy-To-Draw Illustrations" at the National Science Teachers Association's 54th National Conference on Science Education in Anaheim, California. The presentation will be given on Friday, April 7th at 3:30 PM (please check the conference program for the room location).
The presentation will demonstrate a draw-with-me approach for teaching about plate tectonics using illustrations that are easy to draw and which have been used successfully to teach students from third grade to graduate school. Teachers attending the presentation will receive a free guidebook which contains printed copies of the base illustrations that they will use at the session. The presentation guidebook containing his "starting point drawings" can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word document
HERE. Animations of the primary drawings can also be seen.
Image by Hobart King, Geology.comThe presentation will provide an overview of the plate tectonics theory and will assume no previous knowledge about the subject. Teachers who attend the presentation should leave with a better understanding of plate tectonics and return to their classroom with everything needed to teach a draw-with-me lesson.
Labels: Plate-Tectonics, Teaching-Science
Researchers from the United States and other countries are watching a possible rift in the Afar desert of
Ethiopia. The rift was first noticed in September and has since been accompanied by numerous earthquakes and minor volcanic activity. Current size of the rift is about 13 feet in width and a length of nearly 40 miles.
Read more about
Ethiopian Rift at BBC News.
Labels: Plate-Tectonics
NASA scientists have created a map of Mars crustal magnetism using data collected by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. This high resolution magnetic field map covers the entire surface of Mars and displays "magnetic stripes" similar to what are found in the Earth's ocean basins. These stripes and other features are interpreted by NASA scientists as being evidence that Mars has undergone plate tectonics.
Image by NASARead more about
Mars Geology and Plate Tectonics at the NASA website.
Labels: Planets, Plate-Tectonics
Zoom in for a close look at satellite images of plate boundaries with the new Google Maps at Geology.com. We have selected 12 of the most commonly used locations for teaching and learning about plate tectonics and made them easy for you to view. Represented are divergent, convergent and transform boundaries where volcanoes, linear lakes, folding, seas, faults or other features make the plate boundary or developing boundary evident.
Image of Google Maps from Geology.comZoom in on our new
Plate Tectonics Map!
Labels: Maps, Plate-Tectonics
