Geology - The Ocean Floor

This lecture examines the geology of the ocean floor, including seafloor provinces, continental margins, deep-ocean basins, oceanic ridges, and oceanic crust. It also covers hydrothermal alteration, continental rifting, ocean-basin formation, subduction, and the destruction of oceanic lithosphere.

Syllabus

The Ocean Floor
Ocean Provinces
Passive Continental Margin: Continental Rise . Found in regions where trenches are absent
Features of the Deep-Ocean Basins Deep-ocean trench
Anatomy of the Oceanic Ridge
Distribution of the Oceanic Ridge System
Ophiolites: A Cross-Section of the Seafloor
Formation of Ocean Crust
Nature of Oceanic Crust Interactions between seawater and oceanic crust - Seawater circulates downward through the highly fractured crust - Basaltic rock is altered by hydrothermal metamorphism
Continental Rifting-The Birth of a New Ocean Basin Evolution of an ocean basin
Failed Rifts
The Angle of Plate Subduction Depends on Its Density
Destruction of Oceanic Lithosphere