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.
Top to bottom:
Crust
Mantle
Inner core
Outer core
mantle
#. $he lithosphere is made up of the _crust and a tiny !it of the mantel
%. $he plates of the lithosphere move &or float' on this hot( mallea!le __________ _________
)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 -uter .ore.
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 /alse0 1mage * depicts what "arth looks like today. &circle the correctanswer'
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 &1' to most recent &3'.
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.
African
#. $he place where the two plates meet is called a _;oundary_. ;oundaries have different names
depending on how the two plates are moving in relationship to each other.
*. 1f two plates are pushing towards each other it is called a _.onvergent ;oundary_.
;. 1f two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a _Divergent ;oundary_.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
.. 1f two plates are sliding past each other it is a called a _$ranform ;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 = _______________1#___________
Part 11. Num!er of !oundary types correctly la!eled = 1#
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 _continental_' that
are interacting.
>u!duction "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 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_. $he magma formed at a su!duction )one rises up toward the
earth?s surface and !uilds up in magma cham!ers( where it feeds and creates
_@olcanoes_ on the overriding plate. 2hen this magma finds its way to
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
the surface through a vent in the crust( the volcano erupts( eApelling _lava_ and
_ash_. *n eAample of this is the !and of active volcanoes that encircle the Pacific
-cean( often referred to as the <ing of /ire.
<oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
>u!duction Bone C _$he area were one plate is !eing pull under !y another_
Dagma E ____Dolten rock_____
$rench E _*n arc of volcanoes formed at su!duction )ones_
@olcano E _* opening in the "arth:s surface
@olcanic *rc E _ *n arc of volcanoes formed at su!duction )ones _
/ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
* su!duction )one is also generated when two oceanic plates collide F the older plate is
forced under the _newer__ 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 _8imalayas_ .
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 C Crust that makes Earths continents
Dountain E Large mass of Earth force upwards
#. *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.
2hen two _continental_ plates diverge( a valleyElike rift develops. $his <ift 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 _earth,uake_. * 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 Gagged rather than smooth . *s the plates grind past each other( the
Gagged 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 strikeEslip. $he !estEstudied strikeEslip fault is the >an *ndreas /ault in .alifornia.
+. .omplete the Plate 1nteractions .hallenge and $est >kills ,uestions.
Dy score for Plate 1nteractions .hallenge = __________________________
Dy score for $est >kills ,uestions = _______%4 out of %4 or ___144_ H____
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 C continental'
.onvergent ;oundary
&ocean C ocean'
.onvergent ;oundary
&continental C continental'
1. DeepEocean threnches_ and
__rifts_ are created !y convergent
!oundaries of ocean and continental crust.
#. DeepEocean _________________ (
________________( and _____________ 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. $his type of !oundary is called a
_$ransoform_ !oundary !ecause two plates move
against each other( !uilding up tension( then
release the tension is a sudden Gerk of land called
an shift__.
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&
.. $heplatesmoveinoppositedirections!uildinguptensionuntiltheyslipcausing
earth,uakes.
*ier!ent Coner!ent Trans%or&
3. a!el each type of !oundary as either: *ier!ent, Coner!ent, or Trans%or& Boundar':
hh
*. __.onvergent__
;. __$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.