The Geology of Pacific Northwest Rivers, Glaciers, and Deserts

Lab 2: Discovery of Plate Tectonics

Name:__________________________________Date:_______________
(AdaptedbyJasonR.Patton,MariahTilman,andLisannePearcyfromDaleSawyer,
RiceUniversity,andRichardSedlock,SanJoseStateUniversity)
Intheearly1960s,theemergenceofthetheoryofplatetectonicsstartedarevolutionintheearthsciences.
Subsequentverificationandrefinementofthetheoryhasledscientiststorecognizethat,directlyorindirectly,plate
tectonicsinfluencesnearlyallgeologicprocesses.
ThetheoryofplatetectonicsstatesthattheEarth'soutermostlayerisfragmentedintoadozenormoreshelllike
platesthataremovingrelativetooneanotherastheyrideatophotterunderlyingrock.
Inthislab,wewillinvestigatethelocationsandtypesofplateboundariesaroundtheglobebyusingseveraltypesof
scientificdata.We'lldothisasakindofroleplayexercise,soconsideryourselftransportedbackintimetothe
1960's.Thedatatypeswe'llusetodayarethesameonesusedbyscientistsinthelate1950sand1960stodevelop
thetheoryofplatetectonics.Thesedatacontinuetobecollectedtobetterunderstandhowplatetectonicsworks.
Todayyouwillworkingroupsof"specialists"inonetypeofdataandproposehowtolocateandclassifydifferent
typesofplateboundaries.Then,youwillworkwithstudentswhoarespecialistsintheotherdatatypesto
collaborateonanimprovedclassificationschemeandapplyittoaregion.Finally,you'llreceiveinputfromthe
instructoronplateboundarytypesandapplythattoyourfinalrenditionofplateboundaries.Enjoyyourjourney!
DoNOTconsultatextbook,computer,oranyotheroutsidesourceduringthislab
Remember,it'sthe1960's!!
KEYTOYOURSUCCESS:It'syourresponsibilitytoreadandfollowtheinstructionsinthislab.Askforhelpifyouneed
it,butreadtheinstructionscarefullyfirst!
StepA:AssembleinScientificSpecialtygroupsasdirectedbyyourinstructor.
Yourinstructorwillassignyoutooneofthefollowingscientificspecialties.Thenwritethefirstnamesofyourfellow
groupmembersnexttoyourspecialtytype.
Seismologythestudyofearthquakes
Volcanologythestudyofvolcanoes
Geographythestudyoflandelevations(topography)anddepthoftheseafloor(bathymetry)
Geochronologythestudyoftheagesofrockformation
StepB:Lookatyourgroup'smapanddiscusswhatyousee.
Firstlookatyourmap'slegendorexplanationtoseewhatthedataonthemaprepresents.Thenlookmoreclosely
forpatternsinthedata:
Forthepointdata(seismology,volcanology),lookatthedistributionofwherepointsarelocated.
Forsurfacedata(geography,geochronology),lookforvariationsinvalues,especiallyatthehighandlowendsofthe
range.
Sometermstoconsider(thisisn'tachecklist;somewon'tapplytoyourmap).Whereareyourdata?present?
absent?symmetric?asymmetric?narrow?wide?variable?constant?straight?curved?deep?shallow?
Beespeciallyawareofpatterns,variations,etc.thatsuggestamajorboundaryispresent.Thesewillbecandidates
forpossibleplateboundaries.
Workasagroup.Makesureeveryoneinthegrouphastimetotalkaboutwhattheyseebecauseeveryonewill
noticedifferentthings.

StepC:Useyourobservationstoinferthepossiblelocationsofmajorplateboundaries.

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 The Geology of Pacific Northwest Volcanoes, Mountains and Earthquakes
Activity 1: Discovery of Plate Tectonics

C1.Cometoanagreementinyourgrouponatleastfourregionsaroundtheworldthatcouldbeplateboundaries.
C2.Below,listanddescribethespecificcriteriaorfeaturesofyourmapdatayouusedtoinferthelocationsofplate
boundaries.
C3.DrawthesefourregionsonyourgroupblankDiscoveryofPlateTectonicsCoastlineMap.

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 The Geology of Pacific Northwest Rivers, Glaciers, and Deserts
Lab 2: Discovery of Plate Tectonics

StepD:Classifyknownplateboundariesintodifferenttypesbasedonyourspecialtydata.
D1.Writeyourname,yourSpecialtyGroupnameand"StepD"onyourownmap.ThisPlateBoundaryMapshows
somewidelyacceptedlocationsformajorplateboundariesaroundtheworld.Thereareboundtobesomedifferences
fromwhatyouinferredinStepC,becauseyouhadonlyonetypeofdatatolookat,whilethescientistswhomadethe
plateboundarymaphadothersources.That'sOK.
YourtasknowistocategorizetheboundariesonthePlateBoundaryMapintodifferent"types"thatsharesimilar
characteristicsasexpressedinyourdataset.Eachscientificspecialtyshouldbeabletoproposeatleasttwoplate
boundarytypes,andsomegroupsshouldbeabletoproposeupto45types.Trynottoapplywhatyouknewbefore
comingtoclass.DONOTgivenamestotheboundarytypes;justuseyourobservationsofthedataonyourmapasthe
basisforthisclassificationattempt.(YoumaywanttoreferbacktothetermssuggestedinStepBtogetyoustarted.)
Listthemajorcharacteristicsofeachboundarytypeyourgrouprecognizesbelow(minimum2types,maximum4
types).Remember:Youarenottryingtoexplainwhythedatashowthefeaturestheydojustdescribehowto
recognizeeachboundarytype!Yourkeybelowshouldbeclearenoughthatanyonecouldreaditandthenfindexamples
ofeachboundarytypeonyourgroup'sdatamap.
Type1 Type2









Type3 Type4









D2.OnyourPlateBoundaryMapandinyourkeyabove,markyourproposedboundarytypesusingadifferent
coloredpencilforeachtype.Note:Someboundarytypesmaybeasymmetrical(differentononesidethantheother);if
so,deviseawaytoshowthisonthemap,andexplainitinyourkeyabove.
Youwon'tbegradedonwhetheryourcategoriesare"right"ornot,onlyonwhethertheyarereasonableandyour
descriptionsarecompletebasedonthedatainyourspecialty.

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 The Geology of Pacific Northwest Volcanoes, Mountains and Earthquakes
Activity 1: Discovery of Plate Tectonics

StepE:Giveeveryoneinyourgroupanumber.Writeyournumberhere:
StepF:GettogetherwitheveryoneelseintheclasswhohasthesamenumberasyoufromStepE.Everygroupshould
have4people,onefromeachSpecialtyGroup.Writethenamesofyourgroupmembershere:

StepG:Shareyourobservationsandinterpretations.Youarenowthegroupspecialistinyourdatatype!It'syour
responsibilitytobringtherestofyourgroupuptospeed.Theinstructorwillshowthespecialtymapsontheprojector,
onebyone,sothateachspecialistinyournewgrouphasachancetoexplaintheirmapbrieflytotheothers:
Whatthedataareandhowtheyaresymbolized
MajorpatternsandvariationsyourSpecialtyGroupobservedinthedata
Wheremajorboundariesstandoutontheworldmap
TheboundarytypesyouproposedinStepDandthereasonsforyourclassification
StepH:Developasecondclassificationofplateboundarytypes,basedonallfourScientificSpecialties.
YourinstructorwillassignyourgrouparegionoftheEarthtoworkon.Writethenameofyourregionhere:

H1.WriteyournameonyourregionalDiscoveryofPlateTectonicsCoastlinemap.Comparethetypesofplate
boundariesthateachofyouinferredfromyourparticularspecialty.Yourinterpretationsprobablydiffer(whichisfine).
H2.Reconcilethedifferencesandproposeaconsensusgroupschemeofboundarytypesthatworksforyourassigned
region.Besuretoincludealltheboundariesofyourassignedplate(s)inyourscheme.Describethembelow.Markeach
typewithadifferentcoloredpencilbelowandonyournewPlateBoundaryMap.Describeanyboundaryasymmetries
clearlyandshowthemonyourmap.
TypeA TypeB

TypeC TypeD

Makesureyourmaphasalegendshowingthecolorsyouusedforeachboundarytype.
That'sitforStepH.Leaveyourboundarytypesandmapastheyare.Nomodificationslater!Youwon'tbegradedon
whetheryourcategoriesare"right"ornot,butonwhethertheyarereasonableandyourdescriptionsarecomplete,
basedonthedataavailableforyourassignedplate(s).

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 The Geology of Pacific Northwest Rocks & Minerals
Lab 2: Discovery of Plate Tectonics

LastStepI.Formallyclassifyglobalplateboundaries.
I1.Thelastpageofthislabisafactsheetonthetypesofplateboundariesthatgeoscientistscurrentlyrecognize.You
willalsoreceiveyetanothercopyofthePlateBoundaryMapforstepI.Writeyournameandthename(s)ofyour
assignedregiononyournewmap.
I2.Classifytheboundariesofyourassignedplate(s)andanyotherplatesthatyouchoosetoinclude,accordingtothe
boundarytypesshownonthefactsheet.UsecoloredpencilstodistinguishtheboundarytypesonyournewPlate
BoundaryMap,andmakesuretoaddalegendtoyournewmapexplainingwhateachcolormeans.Asbefore,where
boundariesareasymmetrical,indicatewhichsideiswhichonyourmap.
I3.Listalltheformallyrecognizedboundarytypesbelowandspecifywhichcriteriaarediagnosticofeach.Inother
words,ifyouwereinvestigatinganotherEarthlikeplanetonwhichplatetectonicsoperated,whichspecific
features/patterns/variations/etc.couldhelpyoufindeachboundarytype?Hint:Describecriteriafromallspecialtydata
typesthatapplytoeachboundarytype.
BoundaryType: Mapcriteria:

BoundaryType: Mapcriteria:

BoundaryType: Mapcriteria:

BoundaryType: Mapcriteria:

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 The Geology of Pacific Northwest Volcanoes, Mountains and Earthquakes
Activity 1: Discovery of Plate Tectonics

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