\Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____

Plate Tectonics Web-Quest

PartI: Earths Structure. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/
dynamicearth
/structure.htm l
. !a"el the layers of #arth in the diagram "elow.
$. %he lithosphere is made up of the ____&rust____ and a tiny "it of the _____upper mantle ___.
'. %he plates of the lithosphere move (or float) on this hot* mallea"le ____semili+uid _____
,one in the upper mantle* directly underneath the lithosphere. %his is known as the
___________-sthenosphere__________.
.. %he layer of #arth that is the only li+uid layer is the ___-sthenosphere________.
Part II. Plate Tectonics. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/drift.htm l
A B
. %rue or /alse0 1mage - depicts what #arth looks like today.(circle the correctanswer)
%rue
1. Crust
2. Mantle
3. Inner Core
4. Outer Core
5. Mantle
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
$.2hat did #arth look like $34 million years ago0 %he continents of #arth were clustered
together in formation that a scientist named _____Pangaea________. %he scientist that
named 5Pangaea6 was a 7erman scientist "y the name of _-lfred 2egener_ . 8e
theori,ed that 5Pangaea9 split apart and the different landmasses* or continents* drifted to
their current locations on the glo"e. 2egener:s theories of plate movement "ecame the
"asis for the development of the theory of _Plate tectonics_.
'. ;rder the images of #arth:s plates in order from oldest or earliest () to most recent (3).
4 2 3 1 5
Part III. Plates and Boundaries. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.htm l
. Name the missing tectonic plates in the "lanks on the image "elow.
North American Plate
Eurasion Plate
Pacific Plate
South American African Plate Australian Plate
African
Antarctic Plate
$. %he place where the two plates meet is called a _____"oundary______. <oundaries have
different names depending on how the two plates are moving in relationship to each other.
-. 1f two plates are pushing towards each other it is called a ___&onvergent <oundary_.
<. 1f two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a ____Divergent <oundary__.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
&. 1f two plates are sliding past each other it is a called a __%ransform <oundary __.
'. !a"el the type of "oundary depicted in each image "elow.
Transform Divergent Convergent
.. Plates and <oundaries &hallenge. /ollow directions for the challenge. =ecord your results
"elow:
Part 1. Num"er of correctly placed plates > ?
Part 11. Num"er of "oundary types correctly la"eled > __________________
Part IV. Slip, Slide, and Collide. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/slip.htm l
. -t coner!ent boundaries* tectonic plates _&ollide__ with each other. %he events that
occur at these "oundaries are linked to the types of plates (oceanic or __continental__)
that are interacting.
Subduction "ones and Volcanoes
-t some convergent "oundaries* an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate.
;ceanic crust tends to "e __Denser___ and __%hinner___ than continental crust* so the
denser oceanic crust gets "ent and pulled under* or __su"ducted____* "eneath the lighter
and thicker continental crust. %his forms what is called a subduction #one. -s the oceanic
crust sinks* a deep oceanic __trench__________* or valley* is formed at the edge of the
continent. %he crust continues to "e forced deeper into the earth* where high heat and
pressure cause trapped water and other gasses to "e released from it. %his* in turn* makes
the "ase of the crust melt* forming _____magma______. %he magma formed at a
su"duction ,one rises up toward the earth@s surface and "uilds up in magma cham"ers*
where it feeds and creates _volcanoes__ on the overriding plate. 2hen this magma finds
its way to
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
the surface through a vent in the crust* the volcano erupts* eApelling _lava__ and
_ash____. -n eAample of this is the "and of active volcanoes that encircle the Pacific
;cean* often referred to as the =ing of /ire.
=oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words "elow:
Bu"duction Cone D %he area where one plate is "eing pulled under the edge of another__.
Eagma D Eolten rock* gases* and solid crystals and minerals .
%rench D - steepFsided depression in the ocean floor.
Golcano D - vent in the earth:s surface through which magma and gasses erupt.
Golcanic -rc D -n arcFshaped chain of volcanoes formed a"ove a su"duction ,one.
/ill in the type of crust converging in the image "elow.
Continental crust
Oceanic crust
- su"duction ,one is also generated when two oceanic plates collide H the older plate is
forced under the younger one* and it leads to the formation of chains of volcanic islands
known as island arcs_.
Collision "ones and $ountains
2hat happens when two continental plates collide0 <ecause the rock making up
continental plates is generally lighter and less dense than oceanic rock* it is too light to get
pulled under the earth and turned into magma. 1nstead* a collision "etween two continental
plates crunches and folds the rock at the "oundary* lifting it up and leading to the formation
of mountains and mountain ranges .
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
/ill in the type of crust converging in the image "elow.
Continental
Continental
=oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words "elow:
&ontinental &rust D%he earth:s crust that makes up the continents.
Eountain D- high* large mass of earth and rock that rises a"ove the #arth:s surface with
steep or sloping slides.
$. -t dier!ent boundaries* tectonic plates are moving away from each other. ;ne result of
huge masses of crust moving apart is seafloor spreading. %his occurs when two plates
made of oceanic crust pull apart. - crack in the ocean floor appears and then magma
oo,es up from the mantle to fill in the space "etween the plates* forming a raised ridge
called a midFocean ridge .%he magma also spreads outward* forming __new_______
ocean floor and ___new______ oceanic crust. ,,,,,
2hen two ______continental_________ plates diverge* a valleyFlike rift develops. %his
___rift_______ is a dropped ,one where the plates are pulling apart. -s the crust widens
and thins* valleys form in and around the area* as do ____volcanoes___________* which
may "ecome increasingly active. #arly in the rift formation* streams and rivers flow into the
low valleys and long* narrow lakes can "e created. #ventually* the widening crust along the
divergent "oundary may "ecome thin enough that a piece of the continent "reaks off*
forming a new tectonic plate.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
'. -t trans%or& boundaries* tectonic plates are not moving directly toward or directly away
from each other. 1nstead* two tectonic plates ____grind_______ past each other in a
hori,ontal direction. %his kind of "oundary results in a _fault________. - fault is a crack or
__fracture_________
in the earth@s crust that is associated with this movement.
%ransform "oundaries and the resulting faults produce many
___earth+uakes_____________ "ecause edges of tectonic plates are Iagged rather than
____smooth________. -s the plates grind past each other* the Iagged edges strike each
other* catch* and stick* 9locking9 the plates in place for a time. <ecause the plates are
locked together without moving* a lot of
__stress__________ "uilds up at the fault line. %his stress is released in +uick "ursts
when the plates suddenly slip into new positions. %he sudden movement is what we feel
as the shaking and trem"ling of an earth+uake.
%he motion of the plates at a transform "oundary has given this type of fault another name*
a ______strikeFslip fault___________ ____________. %he "estFstudied strikeFslip fault is
the Ban -ndreas /ault in ______&alifornia_________.
.. &omplete the Plate 1nteractions &hallenge and %est Bkills +uestions.
Ey score for Plate 1nteractions &hallenge > _______$ out of 4______
Ey score for %est Bkills +uestions > _______$$ out of '4 or _J' K____
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
Part V. Questions 'ou should be able to ans(er no( that 'ou co&pleted this (eb)uest.
Note F you may go "ack to the we"site and review to assist in answering the
following +uestions.
&onvergent <oundary
(ocean D continental)
&onvergent <oundary
(ocean D ocean)
&onvergent <oundary
(continental D continental)
. DeepFocean ______ridges__________ and
___trenches____________ are created "y
convergent "oundaries of ocean and
continental crust.
$. DeepFocean _______ridges__________ *
___trenches_____________* and
_____oceanic crust________ are created "y
convergent "oundaries of ocean and ocean
crust.
'. ___Eountains_____________________ are
created "y convergent "oundaries of continental
and continental crust.
.. -nother type of "oundary neither creates nor
consumes crust. %his type of "oundary is called a
_____%ransform____________ "oundary "ecause
two plates move against each other* "uilding up
tension* then release
the tension is a
sudden Ierk of land
called an
____fault_________
_______.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
.. &ircle the correct type of "oundary for each description"elow:
-. %he"oundarywheretwoplatesmeetandtrenchesareformed.
*ier!ent Convergent Trans%or&
<. %heplatesmoveawayfromeachotherallowingmagmatocreatenewoceancrust.
Divergent Coner!ent Trans%or&
&. %heplatesmoveinoppositedirections"uildinguptensionuntiltheyslipcausing
earth+uakes.
*ier!ent Coner!ent Transform
3. !a"el each type of "oundary as either: *ier!ent, Coner!ent, or Trans%or& Boundar':
hh
-. _______&onvergent ____________________
B. __________%ransform_________________
hh
&. _____Divergent____________________
%he end. Please take a minute and look over your we"F+uest to make sure you answered
all +uestions and completed all tasks. Eake sure your name is on the front and turn it in.