B.
ENDOGENIC PROCESSES
Endogenic Processes are a function of the internal geodynamic
activity.
● Processes which originate below the Earth's surface with energy
from within the earth as the main force behind.
The main movements are mainly of 2 types:
1. Diastrophism - all movements of the solid parts of the earth that
move, elevate or build up portion of the earth’s crust as a result of
displacement (faulting) or deformation
(folding).
● Produced geologic structures both at or below the
surface of the earth.
a. Orogenic processes involves folding on a greater degree of
deformation caused mainly by the compression of forces acting
horizontally in the earth’s crust as in plate tectonics.
.
b. Epeirogenic processes involving uplift or warping of large parts
of
the earth’s crust. It is a continental building process.
2. Sudden movements cause considerable deformation over a short
Span of time and may cause considerable deformation and may be
Of 2 types: earthquakes and volcanoes.
a. Vulcanism covers the origin, movement and solidification of
molten rocks and mostly takes place below the earth’s surface.
Origin of Magma:
Magma forms through melting of pre-existing rocks. This occurs by
a. Convection of rocks upward through the mantle until it melts
b. Melting of rocks at subduction zone.
Magma moves upward and erupts to form oceanic ridge or hot
spot volcano
Source of Heat:
1. Original heat.
2. Compaction and contraction
3. Radioactivity
Movements of Magma
Magma is lighter and more mobile than solid rocks and tends to
rise in the earth’s crust
The magma is squeezed upward from deep reservoirs called
magma chamber.
As it expands, it reaches positions of lower pressure, the
magma releases some of its corrosive gases. It may engulf
huge masses of rocks by heat and mechanical shattering
(magma stoping)
When it arrives at a depth shallow enough for extensive cracks
to exit it emerges as lava
It may also cool and solidify at any point of is upward course
and produce intrusive igneous (plutonic rock)
Plutonism (or volcanism) is the geologic theory that
the igneous rocks forming the Earth originated from
intrusive magmatic activity. It proposes
that basalt is solidified molten magma.
Tectonic plates are pieces of the earth’s crust and uppermost mantle
made up of 2 principal types of the Material oceanic crust (sima
from silicon and magnesium) and the Continental crust (sial from
silicon and aluminum)
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory describing the large-scale
motion of the plates making up Earth's lithosphere.
Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologist
thought continents moved over time.
Evidences of Continental drift
● fit of the continents,
● paleoclimate indicators
● truncated features
● fossils.
Seafloor spreading is a process that occurs at mid-ocean ridges,
where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and
then gradually moves away from the ridge.
Magma
Magma comes out of the rift valley.
● Magma cools to rock and hardens.
● Rock is pushed away as new rock is formed at MOR.
● Oceanic crust and continental crust meet at the trench.
● Oceanic crust bends down under the continental crust.
● Gravity pulls rock towards mantle.
● Rock melts to mantle.
Earthquakes
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of stored
energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves
Earthquakes occur along fault lines, cracks in Earth's crust
where tectonic plates meet. They occur where plates are
subducting, spreading, slipping, or colliding.
Main Causes of Earthquakes
▪ Volcanic Eruptions
▪ Tectonic Movements
▪ Geological Faults
▪ Man-Made
Classification of earthquakes based on the depth of origin:
i. Shallow quakes – most numerous and originate within 60
km from the surface, within the crust
ii. Intermediate quakes - starts from 70 to 300 km down
iii. Deep quakes – begin 300 km and far down 720 km where
the viscosity of the mantle is sufficient to allow large
stresses to build up temporarily
Intensity of Earthquakes and the Seismograph
Effects of Earthquake:
1. Geologic effect – change in topography by severe
earthquakes
2. Tsunamis
