OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth
Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land. Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents. The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon on Earth. Many organisms use carbon dissolved in the ocean to form shells, other skeletal parts, and coral reefs. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.
OLP 2.C
Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents.
OLP 2.E
Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land. Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents. The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon on Earth. Many organisms use carbon dissolved in the ocean to form shells, other skeletal parts, and coral reefs. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

Home Ocean Literacy Principles OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

Forces acts on one particular object with both a strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object’s speed or direction of motion. For example, when the ocean is still in a particular area, the forces are balanced and the sand will remain on the beach. If the energy stored in waves is active and the waves are strong, the beach may experience erosion as the sand particles are pulled off shore. Depending on the strength of the waves, the erosion on a beach may be more or less severe.

The Force of Waves

Most ocean waves are caused by wind (see The Forces of Wind topic). The type of waves tend to change with seasonal changes in wind. For example, during the winter, waves on the northern shores of the Hawaiian islands can be very large. The force of these large winter waves pry sand and rocks from the shore and carry them into deeper waters. In contrast, small summer waves on the northern Hawaiian shores are gentle, but the force of them helps to return sand and rocks back to shore. The opposite is true of southern shores in Hawaiʻi, which tend to have higher swells in the summer than in the winter.

Waves are strong. The force of waves can carry people, plants, animals, and trash (Fig. 1). The force of waves can also cause dramatic change to the beach and shore. Large, storm waves can pull the sand from a beach! Small waves can slowly build up and washing away of sand on a beach.

Wave-Coast Interactions

The study of wave and beach interactions contributes to our understanding of the processes of erosion (loss) and accretion (buildup). Sand erosion is often a problem for property owners because it removes valuable property (Fig. 2). Sand accretion can also be a problem; for example, a sandbar can block boat channels, and sand deposits can fill harbors.

In an undisturbed coastal area, sand stored on the low-lying coastal plain is released to the beach as sea level rises. This allows the beach to maintain a wide sandy shoreline even as a sinking island or rising sea level causes the beach to migrates landward. However, the hardening of the shoreline, which is the construction of vertical seawalls and revetments to protect coastal lands from marine erosion, protects the immediate area for a limited time but ultimately causes erosion by preventing waves from accessing sandy reservoirs (Fig. 3).

Studies conducted at the University of Hawai‘i show that hardening the shoreline of Oʻahu has caused 10.7 miles of beach to narrow and 6.4 miles to be lost. This is ~24% of the 71.6 miles of originally sandy shoreline on Oʻahu. The loss of beaches not only negatively impacts human activities and property but also affects the environment by smothering local marine life with eroded sediment and causing sewage spills into nearshore waters. In order to save beaches, scientists recommend replenishing sand, keeping coastal areas free of hardened structures and requiring large setbacks of new development. See the example photo taken at central Kailua beach on Oʻahu, showing adjacent property lots with sufficient and insufficient setback (Fig. 4).

The main causes of coastal erosion are:

High waves and currents
Human impacts
Sea level rise

Wave Erosion Vocabulary:

Accretion: the process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter
Erosion: the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents
Revetment: a retaining wall or facing of masonry or other material, supporting or protecting a rampart, wall, etc.
Seawall: a wall or embankment erected to prevent the sea from encroaching on or eroding an area of land
Swell: a slow, regular movement of the sea in rolling waves that do not break
Waves: a long body of water curling into an arched form and breaking on the shore

6407

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth
Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land. Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents. The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon on Earth. Many organisms use carbon dissolved in the ocean to form shells, other skeletal parts, and coral reefs. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.
OLP 2.C
Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents.
OLP 2.E
Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Home Ocean Literacy Principles OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

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ACTIVITY: Modeling Plate Movement

Plate Tectonics Presentation

The Patterns of Earth’s Features

Earth’s surface is complex and dynamic. The surface of the Earth is made of a set of interconnected systems that interact over a wide range of time and space. For example, the motion of tectonic plates is part of the convection cycles in Earth’s mantle, which result in the formation of many features of Earth’s land and undersea surface. Many of Earth’s features can be observed from satellite images and maps (Fig. 1).

Earth’s Layers

The Earth is made up of four main layers (Fig. 2). Starting from the outside, the first layer is the crust. The second layer is the mantle. The third layer is the liquid, outer core. The fourth layer is the solid, inner core. Details of the layers are outlined below:

The crust is composed of two parts: 1) the continental crust, which is formed of low density granite, and 2) the oceanic crust, which lies under the seafloor and is formed of dense, basalt material.
The mantle is below the crust. The upper mantle is fused to the continental and oceanic crusts to form the rigid lithosphere. The lower mantle is the solid but more deformable asthenosphere. It is considered ‘plastic’ because of the high temperature and pressures within it. The asthenosphere is also called the ‘soft zone’ of the mantle.
Below the mantle is the liquid outer core. It is made of dense iron and nickel. The outer core spins with the rotation of the Earth, causing Earth’s magnetic field.
The last layer is the solid inner core. The inner core is made primarily of dense iron and has tremendous capacity to retain heat.

What is Plate Tectonics?

Plate tectonics is a very well-supported scientific theory that combines the principles of continental drift and seafloor spreading to explain the large-scale movements of the Earth’s crust. Earth’s plates are made up of continental and oceanic crust in the lithosphere, which moves on top of the asthenosphere. The movement of plates creates ridges, trenches, and faults. Continental drift is the gradual movement of the continents across Earth’s surfaces. Seafloor spreading describes the geologic process that creates the ocean floor and contributes to the movement of continents.

Fig. 3. A close up cutout of the parts of Earthʻs mantle and crust.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).

Earth’s Plates

There are seven major plates:

African
Antarctic
Eurasian
Indo-Australian
North American
Pacific
South American plates.

There are also numerous minor plates. The Hawaiian Islands reside on the Pacific plate, which is currently moving in a northwesterly direction.

Plate Movement

The boundaries between the moving plates are also sites of earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain building, and oceanic trench formation. There are three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent and transform plate boundaries.

Divergent Plate Boundaries (Fig. 5)

Divergent plate boundaries occur when two plates move away from each other. Plates diverge when new material is pushed upwards from the mantle between them. These divergent boundaries are the sites of spreading centers and mid-ocean ridges. Seafloor spreading involves movement of both the lithosphere and the deeper, partially molten interior of the Earth. The rate of seafloor spreading ranges from 1 to 10 centimeters per year. During seafloor spreading, new ocean floor is formed at the ridges, or rift zones, where molten rock rises and cools to form new oceanic crust. Divergent boundaries are also called constructive boundaries because they are the sites of new seafloor material.

Convergent Plate Boundaries (Fig. 6)

Convergent plate boundaries occur when two plates are being pushed toward each other to create what is called active margins. Subduction zones occur at convergent boundaries where one oceanic plate sinks beneath the other. Deep oceanic trenches form along the trace of the subduction boundary. Volcanic islands can form adjacent to subduction sites, arising on the plate that is above the one that is sinking into the asthenosphere. Where two continental plates are converging, mountains form on the continents (like the Himalayas), and if an oceanic plate is converging with a continental plate, coastal mountains, often containing volcanoes (like the Andes mountains in South America and Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in the Northwestern United States).

Transform Plate Boundaries (Fig. 7)

Transform plate boundaries occur where two plates are sliding next to each other. Due to the friction between the plates, the sliding is actually more like grinding. As a result, large faults are formed along these boundaries, which is where earthquakes occur (like the San Andreas Fault along the coast of California).

Hot Spots

Hot spots occur where mantle material upwells and erupts on the surface of the plate for prolonged periods of time (Fig. 8). Hot spots form volcanic islands (like the Hawaiian Islands). There are about 40 areas of isolated hotspot volcanic activity scattered around the earth. These hot spots are usually stationary. They are found under continents and oceans, in the center of plates, and at the mid-ocean ridges. Hot spots channel magma from the inner mantle to the surface. At hot spots below the oceanic crust, mantle material may rise through the lithosphere, melting and fracturing rocks along the way, to form a seamount, or submarine volcano. As a crustal plate moves over a hot spot during the process of plate tectonics, successive, and usually non-explosive eruptions, can produce linear series of peaks or seamounts. The youngest peak is closest to the hot spot source, and the age of seamounts increases with increasing distance from the hot spot.

4ESS_HotSpot

The islands and seamounts of the Hawaiian Archipelago were created by a hot spot that has been periodically channeling molten material through a plume over the last 41 million years (Fig. 9). The island of Hawai‘i with its active volcanoes is presently over the hot spot and is the youngest island in the chain. The next island will form from the volcanic seamount Lō‘ihi, which is 45km (28mi) east of Hawai‘i islandʻs southernmost tip. Although Lōʻihi is still 969m (3,178 ft) below the surface of the ocean, it has already risen more than 2,450m (8,000ft) above the sea floor. When measured from the sea floor, Lō‘ihi is taller than Mount St. Helens!

4ES_Hawaii_Hotspot

Sciences and the Sacred: Geology and Hydrology of Maunakea

History of Earth’s Features

The theory of continental drift was first proposed by Alfred Wegener. The theory is based on the puzzle-like fit of the continents as well as the similarity of fossils collected from different continents. All modern day continents were once combined together in a ‘supercontinent’ called Pangaea (Fig. 10). Late in the Triassic Period (248–206 million years ago), Pangaea began to break apart. The segments gradually moved apart, resulting in the formation of the Atlantic Ocean and eventually the position of the continents on Earth today.

Plate Tectonic Vocabulary

Abyss: the bottom of the deep ocean below the continental shelf, usually deeper than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters)
Asthenosphere: the mantle that flows and moves the plates of the Earth.
Basalt: a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that makes up the oceanic crust.
Continental crust: the solid masses of the continents; composed primarily of granite.
Continental drift: motion of the continents due to plate tectonics.
Convergent plate boundaries: active margins where two plates are being pushed toward each other.
Divergent plate boundaries: two plates that are moving away from each other due to new material being pushed upwards from the mantle asthenosphere between them; these are the sites of spreading centers and mid-ocean ridges and are also termed constructive boundaries because of the formation of new material
Faults: a fracture in rock where there has been movement and displacement.
Hot Spots: volcanic islands (like the Hawaiian Islands) forming in the interior of a tectonic plate where mantle material upwells and erupts on the surface of the plate for prolonged periods of time.
Lithosphere: outer, rigid portion of the earth; includes the continental and oceanic crust and the upper part of the mantle.
Mantle: main volume of the earth between the crust and the core; increases in pressure and temperature with depth.
Map: a diagrammatic representation of an area of land or sea showing physical features, cities, roads, etc.
Ridges (Mid-ocean): oceanic mountain ranges where earth’s tectonic plates are gradually moving apart.
Trenches (Oceanic): long, narrow depressions of the ocean floor where earth’s tectonic plates meet and where the denser plate sinks beneath the less dense in the process called subduction. The subducting plate sinks back into the mantle.
Pangaea: hypothetical proto-continent proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 as part of his theory of continental drift. Pangaea (from the Greek: pangaia, all earth) supposedly covered about half the earth and was completely surrounded by a world ocean called Panthalassa.
Plate tectonics: geologic theory that combines the concepts of sea floor spreading and continental drift to explain the large-scale movement of the earth’s crust.
Rift zones (also called spreading zones): regions where the lithosphere splits, separates, and is forced apart as new mantle material moves into the crack or rift.
Seafloor spreading: the process that describes how new ocean floor is created by volcanic activity at the mid- ocean ridges’ rift zones; upwelling mantle pushs the existing sea floor away from the rift zones.
Seamount: isolated volcanic peak that rises at least 1,000 meters from the seafloor.
Spreading centers: axes of oceanic rises and ridges where new geologic material is formed in the process of sea floor spreading.
Subduction zones: regions where portions of the earth’s tectonic plates are sinking beneath other plates, into the earth’s interior.
Tectonic plates: the dozen or so plates that make up the surface of the earth. Their motion is studied in the field of plate tectonics.
Transform fault: a type of fault in which two tectonic plates slide past one another

VOICE OF THE SEA: Tracking Lava Flows with the USGS

6406

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth
Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land. Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents. The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon on Earth. Many organisms use carbon dissolved in the ocean to form shells, other skeletal parts, and coral reefs. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.
OLP 2.C
Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents.
OLP 2.E
Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Home Ocean Literacy Principles OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

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ACTIVITY: Source of Hawaiian Sand

Weathering and Erosion

Weathering is the process of breaking down Earthʻs surface into smaller peices. Weathering is often caused by wind, water, ice, plants, and changes in temperature.

Erosion is similar to weathering, but it also includes the movement of weathered pieces and their deposition. Erosion occurs through wind, running water, such as rivers, and even in the slow movement of ice in glaciers. Living organisms can also contribute to erosion. For example, plant roots can wedge inbetween cracks in rocks, and fish can break off peices of rock as they eat algae.

Both weathering and erosion can occur very quick, like during mudslides. Weathering and erosion can also be very slow, like in the formation of stream beds as water trickles through. We see examples of weathering and erosion every day—from cracks in the sidewalks, to sand at the beach, to rocks sliding down mountains (Fig. 1).

Biological organisms can also change the physical features of Earth. The science of biogeology explores the interactions between the living and non-living features of Earth.

The Different Sands of Hawaiʻi

The sand that makes up the beaches in Hawai‘i originates from a number of different sources. The main source of sand can often be determined by color. In Hawaiʻi, there are beaches of red, black, green, and white sand. Many beaches often have multiple types of sand as well as particles from other sources (like marine debris).

VOICE OF THE SEA: Saving Hawaii’s Beaches

Red, black, and green sands come from volcanic rock

Volcanic sand is formed by weathering and mechanical erosion. Red sand beaches are rare. They come from volcanic rock that is rich in iron. Kaihalulu beach on Maui is an example of a red sand beach (Fig. 2).

Obsidian black sand beaches form when lava enters the ocean and is rapidly cooled into black glass. The glass explodes due to the rapid cooling, and fragments are distributed onto the shoreline. Over time, these fragments become eroded by wave action into fine grains, producing the black sand of obsidian beaches—like those at Punalu‘u, Ho‘okena, and Kealakekua beaches on the island of Hawai‘i (Fig. 3). Other beaches may have black sand from erosion of volcanic rock, but they are not as uniformly dark as beaches formed primarily from obsidian glass.

Green sand beaches are also formed by weathering. The mineral olivine comes from volcanic rock, which erodes into sand grains to form green sand beaches (Fig. 4).

White sand comes from living organisms

White sands are primarily made from the small remnants of living things. White sand and is often made of calcareous algae and skeletons from coral or other animals that have calcium carbonate shells or structures (Fig. 5). White sand beaches are more common in locations near reef structures. The development of white sand takes time for the dynamic processes of mechanical and biological erosion (bioerosion) to occur. During mechanical erosion, coral fragments are broken off during storms or other disturbances. These fragments, along with animal shells and calcified algae, roll back and forth with the waves, slowly eroding into smaller and smaller particles that become sand. White sand can be found in places like Lanikai beach on O‘ahu.

Animals help form sand

Animals that dig into coral for food help to create sand through the process of bioerosion. For example, parrotfish (uhu) are considered important bioeroders on the reef (Fig. 6). They use their fused jaws to break off pieces of live coral in order to digest the algae that live in and around the coral tissues. In the process, parrotfish grind the coral skeleton and deposit it back on the reef as a waste product. Researchers estimate that parrotfish in Hawai‘i contribute up to 70% of the white sand on the beach. In addition, animals like boring sponges, worms, and bivalves, urchins, and fish also produce sand as a byproduct of grazing on coral.

Other animals that contribute to the creation of white sands include shelled animals that leave their shelled homes or spines behind when they die, such as snails, oysters, scallops, and urchins (Fig. 7). These structures roll with the waves and are slowly eroded into sand particles. Calcareous algae, like Halimeda (Fig. 8), and coralline algae, like the encrusting pink alga that cements reefs together, also leave behind their calcium carbonate structures that erode to become sand particles over time. In addition, herbivorous fishes may eat calcareous algae and deposit the remains as sand.

Weathering and Erosion Vocabulary

Bioerosion: the biological process of erosion due to grazing, boring organisms and other living organisms that break up the reef into smaller particles.
Biogeology: the study of the interactions between the living and non-living features of Earth.
Byproduct: a secondary result, unintended but inevitably produced, in doing or producing something else.
Deposition: the placement of something in a new location.
Calcium Carbonate: a white solid that occurrs naturally as chalk, limestone, marble, and calcite. It also makes up the shells or skeletons of many marine organisms, like oysters, urchins, coral, and calcareous algae.
Erosion: the breaking down and transport of material.
Mechanical erosion: erosion due to movement and wear and tear of material from wave action, wind, water transport, etc.
Obsidian: a hard, dark, glasslike volcanic rock formed by the rapid solidification of lava without crystallization.
Olivine: an olive-green, gray-green, or brown mineral occurring widely in basalt, peridotite, and other basic igneous rocks. It is a silicate containing various proportions of magnesium, iron, and other elements.
Sand: broken down rock or organic material that makes up beaches.
Weathering: the physical process of wind and precipitation breaking down rock into smaller particles.

6405

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth
Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land. Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents. The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon on Earth. Many organisms use carbon dissolved in the ocean to form shells, other skeletal parts, and coral reefs. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.
OLP 2.C
Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents.
OLP 2.E
Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Home Ocean Literacy Principles OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

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ESS2: Earth’s System:
How and why is Earth constantly changing?

ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems: How do Earth’s major systems interact?

Learning goals by the end of grade 5: Earth’s major systems are the geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments), the hydrosphere (water and ice), the atmosphere (air), and the biosphere (living things, including humans). These systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth’s surface materials and processes. The ocean supports a variety of ecosystems and organisms, shapes landforms, and influences climate. Winds and clouds in the atmosphere interact with the landforms to determine patterns of weather. Rainfall helps shape the land and affects the types of living things found in a region. Water, ice, wind, living organisms, and gravity break rocks, soils, and sediments into smaller particles and move them around. Human activities affect Earth’s systems and their interactions at its surface.

ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions: Why do the continents move, and what causes earthquakes and volcanoes?

Learning goals by the end of grade 5: The locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, ocean floor structures, earthquakes, and volcanoes occur in patterns. Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur in bands that are often along the boundaries between continents and oceans. Major mountain chains form inside continents or near their edges. Maps can help locate the different land and water features where people live and in other areas of Earth.

ESS2.E: Biogeology: How do living organisms alter Earth’s processes and structures?

Learning goals by the end of grade 5: Living things affect the physical characteristics of their regions (e.g., plants’ roots hold soil in place, beaver shelters and human-built dams alter the flow of water, plants’ respiration affects the air). Many types of rocks and minerals are formed from the remains of organisms or are altered by their activities.

Ocean Literacy Principles

Principle 1: The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: The ocean is the defining physical feature on our planet Earth—covering approximately 70% of the planet’s surface. There is one ocean with many ocean basins, such as the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic. (OLP1a)

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: Ocean basins are composed of the seafloor and all of its geological features (such as islands, trenches, mid-ocean ridges, and rift valleys) and vary in size, shape and features due to the movement of Earth’s crust (lithosphere). Earth’s highest peaks, deepest valleys and flattest plains are all in the ocean. (OLP1b)

Principle 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth.

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks (OLP2a)

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents (OLP2c)

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast. (OLP2e)

These concepts will be explored in this unit through the following activities and investigations:

ACTIVITY: Source of Hawaiian Sand

ACTIVITY: Modeling Plate Movement

6478

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth
Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land. Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents. The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon on Earth. Many organisms use carbon dissolved in the ocean to form shells, other skeletal parts, and coral reefs. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.
OLP 2.C
Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents.
OLP 2.E
Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Home Ocean Literacy Principles OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Introduction to Patterns of Weathering and Earth’s Features

[ct_terms tax_slug=ngss_performance_expectations tax_url=ess2-earth-s-systems-2] [ct_terms tax_slug=curriculum_alignment tax_url=introduction-ocean-literacy-principles-olp-2] ESS2: Earth's System: How and why is Earth constantly changing? ESS2.A: Earth Materials and ...

Weathering and Erosion

[ct_terms tax_slug=ngss_performance_expectations tax_url=ess2-earth-s-systems-2] [ct_terms tax_slug=curriculum_alignment tax_url=introduction-ocean-literacy-principles-olp-2] ACTIVITY: Source of Hawaiian Sand Weathering and Erosion Weathering is the process of breaking ...

Exploring Plate Tectonics

[ct_terms tax_slug=ngss_performance_expectations tax_url=ess2-earth-s-systems-2] [ct_terms tax_slug=curriculum_alignment tax_url=introduction-ocean-literacy-principles-olp-2] ACTIVITY: Modeling Plate Movement Plate Tectonics Presentation The Patterns of Earth's Features Earth’s surface ...

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OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth
Many earth materials and biogeochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land. Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean, and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents. The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon on Earth. Many organisms use carbon dissolved in the ocean to form shells, other skeletal parts, and coral reefs. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.
OLP 2.C
Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean and the processes associated with plate tectonics move sediments. Most beach sand (tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks, and minerals) is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers; sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed seasonally by waves and coastal currents.
OLP 2.E
Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and the force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Home Ocean Literacy Principles OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

The Force of Waves

Wave-Coast Interactions

OLP 2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth

The Patterns of Earth’s Features

Earth’s Layers

What is Plate Tectonics?

Earth’s Plates

Plate Movement

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