This topic contains a solution. Click here to go to the answer

Author Question: Describe the characteristics and features of the oceanic ridge system, including the difference ... (Read 104 times)

WWatsford

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 539
    • Biology Forums!
Describe the characteristics and features of the oceanic ridge system, including the difference between oceanic ridges and oceanic rises.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe Stanley Miller's landmark experiment. How did the results of this experiment change hypothesis regarding the evolution of life on Earth?
 
  What will be an ideal response?



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
Marked as best answer by a Subject Expert

kjohnson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 330
Answer to Question 1

The global mid-ocean ridge is a continuous, fractured-looking mountain ridge that extends through all the ocean basins. The mid-ocean ridge results from sea floor spreading along divergent plate boundaries. The enormous mid-ocean ridge forms Earth's longest mountain chain, extending across some 75,000 kilometers (46,600 miles) of the deep-ocean basin. The width of the mid-ocean ridge averages about 1000 kilometers (620 miles). The mid-ocean ridge is a topographically high feature, extending an average of 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) above the surrounding sea floor. The mid-ocean ridge contains only a few scattered islands, such as Iceland and the Azores, where it peeks above sea level. Remarkably, the mid-ocean ridge covers 23 of Earth's surface. Segments of the mid-ocean ridge called oceanic ridges have a prominent rift valley and steep, rugged slopes, and oceanic rises have slopes that are gentler and less rugged. As explained in Chapter 2, the differences in overall shape are caused by the fact that oceanic ridges (such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) spread more slowly than oceanic rises (such as the East Pacific Rise).

Answer to Question 2

In 1952, Stanley Miller conducted a laboratory experiment where he exposed a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water (the components of the early atmosphere and ocean) to ultraviolet light (from the Sun) and an electrical spark (to imitate lightning) By the end of the first day, the mixture turned pink, and after a week it was a deep, muddy brown, indicating the formation of a large assortment of organic molecules, including amino acidswhich are the basic components of lifeand other biologically significant compounds. This demonstrated that organic molecules could have been produced in Earth's early oceans to become life's precursor molecules about 4 billion years ago.





 

Did you know?

According to the FDA, adverse drug events harmed or killed approximately 1,200,000 people in the United States in the year 2015.

Did you know?

Nitroglycerin is used to alleviate various heart-related conditions, and it is also the chief component of dynamite (but mixed in a solid clay base to stabilize it).

Did you know?

Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. About 10% of Americans older than age 40 years have diverticulosis, which, when the pouches become infected or inflamed, is called diverticulitis. The main cause of diverticular disease is a low-fiber diet.

Did you know?

The average adult has about 21 square feet of skin.

Did you know?

Hip fractures are the most serious consequences of osteoporosis. The incidence of hip fractures increases with each decade among patients in their 60s to patients in their 90s for both women and men of all populations. Men and women older than 80 years of age show the highest incidence of hip fractures.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library