7 Chapter 1: Time to Apply
Below are materials to support teaching and learning about scientific ocean drilling that connect to the content in this chapter. We also encourage you to explore the Resources for Educators page in this OER for links to additional exercises and assessments.
Time to Apply: Part A
Exercise 1.1
In the Sediment and the Subsurface section of this chapter, study the map “Total Sediment Thickness of the World’s Oceans and Marginal Seas, Version 3 (GlobSed).” Refer to the map legend, which shows sediment thicknesses by different shades of color. As noted earlier in this section, ocean sediments record paleoenvironmental and depositional history tied to specific geographic locations over geologic time.
(a) Within the Atlantic Ocean between the latitudes of 0° and -30°, identify the areas where sediment is thickest sediment and where sediment is thinnest.
(b) Based on the locations of the thicker sediments, what is their most likely principal source?
(c) A quick scan shows that sediment thickness of approximately 0.5 kilometers or less covers the greatest area of the Atlantic Ocean. To understand the scale of this geologically rich but comparatively thin layer, calculate what percentage this sediment layer represents out of Earth’s total depth to the center (the radius) of 6,371 kilometers.
Exercise 1.2
In the Plate Tectonics section of this chapter, examine the NOAA map, “Age of Oceanic Lithosphere [m.y.].” The video preceding this map demonstrates how new material is continually generated at divergent plate tectonic boundaries, while older material is destroyed or recycled at convergent plate tectonic boundaries.
(a) What color represents the most recently formed lithosphere on this map?
The Atlantic Ocean is a great example of where two diverging plates move away from each other and new seafloor is generated.
(b) Where in the Atlantic Ocean is this newly generated lithosphere located?
The symmetrical ages of the Atlantic Ocean lithosphere track the process of seafloor formation, called “seafloor spreading.”
(c) Which region of the Atlantic Ocean—northern or southern—contains the oldest lithosphere?
(d) Considering the ages of the oldest ocean lithosphere, which region began seafloor spreading earlier, the North Atlantic or the South Atlantic?
(e) Approximately when did this seafloor spreading begin?
Exercise 1.3
Where Were You in the Cambrian?
On the basis of the video Plate Tectonics Scotese Animation located at the end of the Plate Tectonics section of this chapter, answer the following questions about the constantly changing continents and oceans.
(a) According to this video, where was your country or state during the Cambrian? Under water? Still being built, geologically speaking?
(b) Compared to its present location where was the land mass that we now call the continent of North America throughout the Cambrian Period?
(c) Scan the video during the Silurian Period and locate your country or state. What is your location relative to the equator and in what direction is your home is heading?
(d) What land masses rift apart to form the Atlantic Ocean and what forms first, the North Atlantic or the South Atlantic?
(e) Approximately how many millions of years ago did India converge with Asia to form the Himalayan Mountains?
Exercises 1.4
Identify Earth’s Interacting Spheres
Time to Apply: Part B
The exercises listed in this initial section of Part B are peer reviewed and come from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT).
- Learning about marine sediments using real data — This exercise set explores marine sediments using real core photos and composition data from the scientific ocean drilling programs DSDP, ODP, and IODP in an inquiry-based approach. This activity is in NAGT’s Teach the Earth portal and is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Collection.
- Virtual marine sediment core collection — A primary objective of marine science classes is to learn the location and formation of ocean sediment types. Nearly 50 years of scientific ocean drilling has produced a tremendous scientific collection of cores from the global ocean floor. In addition, there are large online databases and related publications that have a wealth of associated information to supplement physical cores. Here we created a virtual marine core collection that provides exemplars of the primary ocean sediment lithologies, along with links to expedition reports and datasets, and tips for making requests for real core samples to use in education. This activity is in NAGT’s Teach the Earth portal and is part of the GEODE (Google Earth for Onsite and Distance Education) collection.
The JOIDES Resolution website has an entire collection of Classroom Activities that include lesson plans, data exercises, digital interactives, posters, and career information. Here in Part B, we call attention to materials that relate to the content of this chapter.
3. Density of oceanic crust — Students will be able to calculate the density of samples from a single core, determine the relationship between density and depth in a given core, and measure, calculate, and compare continental rock samples. This activity is in the For Educators section of the JOIDES Resolution website.
4. Exploring seafloor data — Present students with this data set of microbial phyla from the deep biosphere and guide them to identify patterns then form and test multiple hypotheses about the questions they generate. Then they reflect on the elements of “doing science” they experienced and use the Science Flow Chart to document the process they engaged in and share what they would do next. This activity is in the For Educators section of the JOIDES Resolution website.
5. Inquiry into sediment cores — This activity serves as an inquiry-based introduction to description of sediment cores and to primary types of marine sediments, their distribution on the sea floor, and the controls that determine their distribution. This activity is in the For Educators section of the JOIDES Resolution website.
6. Secrets of the sediments — During this activity, students will graph and analyze data from sediments collected off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, during ODP Leg 146 (Hole 893A) to determine whether this information can be used to study historical climate change. This activity is in the For Educators section of the JOIDES Resolution website, with a Digital Adaptation in the IODP School of Rock 2020 collection.
7. Plate Tectonics: scientific ocean drilling contributions — Students use original data from an early leg (DSDP Leg 3) in the history of scientific ocean drilling to participate in the excitement of original discovery from authentic data. This activity is in the For Educators section of the JOIDES Resolution website. A similar activity with DSDP Leg 3 data is in the IODP School of Rock 2020 collection.
8. How do scientists conduct research on ancient environments? — In this activity, students will sequence a series of captioned photographs to determine the scientific process of one scientist, Dr. Tracy Quan. This activity is in the For Educators section of the JOIDES Resolution website.
