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
1. a!el the layers of "arth in the diagram !elow.
#. $he lithosphere is made up of the crust and a tiny !it of the upper mantle.
%. $he plates of the lithosphere move &or float' on this hot( mallea!le semi li)uid *one
*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 inner core.
Part II. Plate Tectonics. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/drift.htm l
A B
1. $rue or -alse. /mage + depicts what "arth looks like today. 0false.
Crust
Mantle
Inner core
Outer core
Mantle
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
#.1hat did "arth look like #23 million years ago. $he continents of "arth were clustered
together in formation that a scientist named Pangaea. $he scientist that named
4Pangaea5 was a 6erman scientist !y the name of +lfred 1egener . 7e theori*ed that
4Pangaea8 split apart and the different landmasses( or continents( drifted to their current
locations on the glo!e. 1egener9s theories of plate movement !ecame the !asis for the
development of the theory of plate tectonics.
%. :rder the images of "arth9s plates in order from oldest or earliest &1' to most recent &2'.
` 5 3 2 4 1
Part III. Plates and Boundaries. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.htm l
1. Name the missing tectonic plates in the !lanks on the image !elow.
frican
#. $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.
+. /f two plates are pushing towards each other it is called a <onvergent ;oundary.
;. /f two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a Divergent ;oundary.
North American Plate
Eurasion Plate
Pacifc Plate
South American
Plate
African Plate
Australian Plate
Antarctic Plate.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
<. /f two plates are sliding past each other it is a called a transform !oundary.
%. a!el the type of !oundary depicted in each image !elow.
Transform Boundary Divergent Boundary Convergent Boundary
,. Plates and ;oundaries <hallenge. -ollow directions for the challenge. =ecord your results
!elow:
Part /. Num!er of correctly placed plates > _________1%_________________
Part //. 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
1. +t coner!ent boundaries( tectonic plates collide with each other. $he events that occur
at these !oundaries are linked to the types of plates &oceanic or contintal' 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 thinner 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
ocean 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. 1hen 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 0 $he area where one plate is !eing pulled over the other.
Dagma 0 molten rock( gases( and solid crystals and minerals.
$rench 0 + steepEsided depression in the ocean floor.
Folcano 0 a vent in the earth9s surface through which magma and gases erupt.
Folcanic +rc 0 +n +rc Bhaped chain of volcanoes formed a!ove a su!duction *one.
-ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
+ su!duction *one is also generated when two oceanic plates collide G 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
1hat happens when two continental plates collide. ;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. /nstead( 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.
Continental Crust
Oceanic Crust
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
-ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
=oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
<ontinental <rust 0 $he earth9s crust that makes up the continents.
Dountain 0 a high large mass of earth( and rock that rises a!ove the "arth9s surface with
steep or sloping sides.
#. +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 midEocean ridge. $he magma also spreads outward( forming new ocean floor and
new oceanic crust.
1hen two continental plates diverge( a valleyElike 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.
Continental crust
Continental Crust.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
%. +t trans%or& boundaries( tectonic plates are not moving directly toward or directly away
from each other. /nstead( 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 Hagged rather than smooth. +s the plates grind past each other( the
Hagged edges strike each other( catch( and stick( 8locking8 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 BtrikeEslip -ault. $he !estEstudied strikeEslip fault is the Ban +ndreas -ault in <alifornia.
,. <omplete the Plate /nteractions <hallenge and $est Bkills )uestions.
Dy score for Plate /nteractions <hallenge > __________I/13________________
Dy score for $est Bkills )uestions > ______ #J_ out of %3 or ____ K____
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
Part V. Questions 'ou should be able to ans(er no( that 'ou co&pleted this (eb)uest.
Note E you may go !ack to the we!site and review to assist in answering the
following )uestions.
<onvergent ;oundary
&ocean 0 continental'
<onvergent ;oundary
&ocean 0 ocean'
<onvergent ;oundary
&continental 0 continental'
1. DeepEocean trenches and
Folcanoes are created !y convergent
!oundaries of ocean and continental crust.
#. DeepEocean trenches (islands ( and volcanoes are
created !y convergent !oundaries of ocean and ocean
crust.
%. Dountains 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 Herk of land called
an "arth)uake.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
,. <ircle the correct type of !oundary for each description!elow:
+. $he!oundarywheretwoplatesmeetandtrenchesareformed.
*ier!ent Coner!ent Trans%or&
;. $heplatesmoveawayfromeachotherallowingmagmatocreatenewoceancrust.
*ier!ent Coner!ent Trans%or&
<. $heplatesmoveinoppositedirections!uildinguptensionuntiltheyslipcausing
earth)uakes.
*ier!ent Coner!ent Trans%or&
2. a!el each type of !oundary as either: *ier!ent, Coner!ent, or Trans%or& Boundar':
hh
+. <onvergent
;. $ransform
hh
<. Divergent
$he end. Please take a minute and look over your we!E)uest to make sure you answered
all )uestions and completed all tasks. Dake sure your name is on the front and turn it in.