Anth 368
Anth 368
Midterm
1.What roles do plate tectonics play in the geomorphology of Pacific Islands?
The earth’s crust is made out of plate tectonics. Each plate has a defined boundary and direction it moves. The plates in Earth’s crust perform two actions; they submerge under each other or they spread out. The Pacific Plate is the largest plate and it borders around many plates. The Pacific Plate moves northwest. New crust is formed from magma outpours, which are a result of the zones spreading. The tectonic plates created the islands. When the tectonic plates move, it creates the change in geography. Active volcanoes together shape the way islands are build. The magma from the volcano and the deposits from the plate are needed to create the pacific islands structure. The buildup of deposits eventually pushes pass sea level to create the island. The islands that are part of the same volcanic chain will all take over a millions years to rise. Islands that are located within the Pacific Plate are created by hot spots. Hot spots are an area full of magma that comes from the mantle. “ In time, the new islands move off the hot spot as it is carried along by the conveyor belt of the crustal lithosphere” (Kirch 2000:46). When the Pacific Plate collides with another plate, the sea floor has an opening of lava coming out. The hotspots interact with that collision together to build up the island.
2. Where (what continent) do the people who ultimately settled Near Oceania come from? What specific kinds of data tell us of these people (archaeological, biological and linguistic)?
Oceanic languages were mentioned to have been a branch of the Austronesian family. Through examining the Austronesian language, it appears to have been branched off from many Southeast Asian languages. Language is passed on for generations and generations. Language is a living fact that shows where the origin of the Oceania are from.
Human genetics have shown that the people from
Midterm
1.What roles do plate tectonics play in the geomorphology of Pacific Islands?
The earth’s crust is made out of plate tectonics. Each plate has a defined boundary and direction it moves. The plates in Earth’s crust perform two actions; they submerge under each other or they spread out. The Pacific Plate is the largest plate and it borders around many plates. The Pacific Plate moves northwest. New crust is formed from magma outpours, which are a result of the zones spreading. The tectonic plates created the islands. When the tectonic plates move, it creates the change in geography. Active volcanoes together shape the way islands are build. The magma from the volcano and the deposits from the plate are needed to create the pacific islands structure. The buildup of deposits eventually pushes pass sea level to create the island. The islands that are part of the same volcanic chain will all take over a millions years to rise. Islands that are located within the Pacific Plate are created by hot spots. Hot spots are an area full of magma that comes from the mantle. “ In time, the new islands move off the hot spot as it is carried along by the conveyor belt of the crustal lithosphere” (Kirch 2000:46). When the Pacific Plate collides with another plate, the sea floor has an opening of lava coming out. The hotspots interact with that collision together to build up the island.
2. Where (what continent) do the people who ultimately settled Near Oceania come from? What specific kinds of data tell us of these people (archaeological, biological and linguistic)?
Oceanic languages were mentioned to have been a branch of the Austronesian family. Through examining the Austronesian language, it appears to have been branched off from many Southeast Asian languages. Language is passed on for generations and generations. Language is a living fact that shows where the origin of the Oceania are from.
Human genetics have shown that the people from