Geology                     Natural Science 1003

Topics

15.1  Why are continents high and oceans low?  

• Compare: Compare the general elevations of ocean crust and continental crust

• Term: isostasy

• Analytical: Compare how objects of the same mass and different materials float in water

• Analytical: Compare how objects of the same density and different mass float in water

• Explanation: Using the information of the objects floating in water, explain why ocean crust is lower and continental crust is higher

15.2  Isostasy and geologic processes   

• Explanation: How do compression forces affect the height and thickness of the crust?

• Explanation: How do extension forces affect the height and thickness of the crust?

• Explanation: How does erosion affect the height of the crust?

• Explanation: How does deposition affect the height of the crust?

• Explanation: How does the crust under a glacier and near the glacier respond when the glacier melts/retreats?

15.3  What causes sea level changes?    

• Explanation: How does the amount of glaciers on the Earth affect sea level?

• Explanation: How does the total area of ocean basins on the Earth affect sea level? How does the total area of ocean basins change?

• Explanation: How does the average age of ocean lithosphere on the Earth affect sea level? How does the average age of ocean lithosphere change?