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.
CRUST MANTLE
INNER CORE

OUTER CORE
MANTLE
2. #he lithosphere is made up of the CRUST and a tiny !it of the UPPER MANTLE.
3. #he plates of the lithosphere move $or float% on this hot& mallea!le SEMI LIQUID
'one in the upper mantle& directly underneath the lithosphere. #his is known as the
ASTHENOSPHERE.
4. #he layer of "arth that is the only li(uid layer is the OUTER 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. $circle the correctanswer%
FALSE
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
-..hat did "arth look like -/0 million years ago* #he continents of "arth were clustered
together in formation that a scientist named PANAEA. #he scientist that named 1Pangaea2 was
a 3erman scientist !y the name of A!"#E$ WEENE#. 4e theori'ed that 1Pangaea5 split apart
and the different landmasses& or continents& drifted to their current locations on the glo!e.
.egener6s theories of plate movement !ecame the !asis for the development of the theory of
P!ATE TE%&T'NI% T&E'#(.
7. 8rder the images of "arth6s plates in order from oldest or earliest $1% to most recent $/%.
5 3 2 4 1
Part III. Plates an) *oun)aries. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.htm l
1. Name the missing tectonic plates in the !lanks on the image !elow.
NORTH AMERICAN PLATE
EURASIAN PLATE
PACIFIC PLATE
AFRICAN PLATE AUSTRALIAN PLATE
SOUTH AMERICAN PLATE
ANTARTIC PLATE
-. #he place where the two plates meet is called a *'+N$A#(. 9oundaries have different names
depending on how the two plates are moving in relationship to each other.
A. +f two plates are pushing towards each other it is called a %'N,E#ENT.
*. +f two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a $I,E#ENT.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
:. +f two plates are sliding past each other it is a called a T#ANS"'#-.
7. a!el the type of !oundary depicted in each image !elow.
TRANSFORM DIVERGENT CONVERGENT
;. Plates and 9oundaries :hallenge. )ollow directions for the challenge. <ecord your results
!elow:
Part +. Num!er of correctly placed plates = 1.
Part ++. Num!er of !oundary types correctly la!eled = 22
Part I,. Sli/0 Sli)e0 an) %olli)e. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/slip.htm l
1. ,t con1er2ent boun)aries& tectonic plates %'!!I$E with each other. #he events that
occur at these !oundaries are linked to the types of plates $oceanic or %'NTIENTA!% that
are interacting.
Sub)uction 3ones an) ,olcanoes
,t some convergent !oundaries& an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate.
8ceanic crust tends to !e $ENSE# and T&INNE# than continental crust& so the denser
oceanic crust gets !ent and pulled under& orS+*$+%TE$& !eneath the lighter and thicker
continental crust. #his forms what is called a sub)uction 4one. ,s the oceanic crust sinks&
a deep oceanic T#EN%&& or valley& is formed at the edge of the continent. #he crust
continues to !e forced deeper into the earth& where high heat and pressure cause trapped
water and other gasses to !e released from it. #his& in turn& makes the !ase of the crust
melt& forming -A-A. #he magma formed at a su!duction 'one rises up toward the
earth>s surface and !uilds up in magma cham!ers& where it feeds and creates
,'!%ANE'S on the overriding plate. .hen this magma finds its way to
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
the surface through a vent in the crust& the volcano erupts& e?pelling !A,A and
AS&. ,n e?ample of this is the !and of active volcanoes that encircle the Pacific 8cean&
often referred to as the <ing of )ire.
<oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
@u!duction Aone B T&E A#EA W&E#E 'NE P!ATE IS *EIN P+!!E$ +N$E# T&E
E$E '" AN'T&E#.
Cagma B -'!TEN #'%50 ASES0 AN$ S'I!$ %(#STA!S AN$ -INE#A!S
#rench B A STEEP-SI$E$ $EP#ESSI'N IN T&E '%ENA "!''#
Dolcano B A ,ENT IN T&E EA#T&S S+#"A%E T&#'+& W&I%& -A-A AN$
ASES E#+PT
Dolcanic ,rc B A A#%-S&APE$ %&AIN '" ,'!%ANE'S "'#-E$ A*',E A
S+*$+%TI'N 3'NE
)ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
CONTIENTAL CRUST
OCEANIC CRUST
, su!duction 'one is also generated when two oceanic plates collide E the older plate is
forced under the ('+NE# one& and it leads to the formation of chains of volcanic
islands known as IS!AN$ A#%S.
%ollision 3ones an) -ountains
.hat happens when two continental plates collide* 9ecause 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 -'+NTAINS AN$ -'+NTAIN #ANES .
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
)ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
CONTIENTAL CRUST
CONTIENTAL CRUST
<oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
:ontinental :rust F _____________________________________________________
Countain F ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
-. ,t )i1er2ent boun)aries& tectonic plates are moving __________ from each other. 8ne
result of huge masses of crust moving apart is ______________ 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 _______________ ___________. #he magma also spreads outward&
forming _________ ocean floor and _________ oceanic crust.
.hen two _______________ plates diverge& a valleyFlike rift develops. #his __________ 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 _______________& 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 ____
7. ,t trans6or7 boun)aries& tectonic plates are not moving directly toward or directly away
from each other. +nstead& two tectonic plates ___________ past each other in a hori'ontal
direction. #his kind of !oundary results in a _________. , fault is a crack or ___________
in the earth>s crust that is associated with this movement.
#ransform !oundaries and the resulting faults produce many ________________ !ecause
edges of tectonic plates are Gagged rather than ____________. ,s the plates grind past
each other& the Gagged edges strike each other& catch& and stick& 5locking5 the plates in
place for a time. 9ecause the plates are locked together without moving& a lot of
____________ !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 _________________ ____________. #he !estFstudied strikeFslip fault is the @an
,ndreas )ault in _______________.
;. :omplete the Plate +nteractions :hallenge and #est @kills (uestions.
Cy score for Plate +nteractions :hallenge = __________________________
Cy score for #est @kills (uestions = _______ out of 70 or ____ H____
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
Part ,. Questions 8ou shoul) be able to ans9er no9 that 8ou co7/lete) this 9eb:uest.
Note F you may go !ack to the we!site and review to assist in answering the
following (uestions.
:onvergent 9oundary
$ocean B continental%
:onvergent 9oundary
$ocean B ocean%
:onvergent 9oundary
$continental B continental%
1. DeepFocean ________________ and
_______________ are created !y convergent
!oundaries of ocean and continental crust.
-. DeepFocean _________________ &
________________& and _____________ are
created !y convergent !oundaries of ocean
and ocean crust.
7. ________________________ 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
_________________ !oundary !ecause two
plates move against each other& !uilding up
tension& then release the tension is a sudden Gerk
of land called an
_________________
___.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
;. :ircle the correct type of !oundary for each description!elow:
,. #he!oundarywheretwoplatesmeetandtrenchesareformed.
$i1er2ent %on1er2ent Trans6or7
9. #heplatesmoveawayfromeachotherallowingmagmatocreatenewoceancrust.
$i1er2ent %on1er2ent Trans6or7
:. #heplatesmoveinoppositedirections!uildinguptensionuntiltheyslipcausing
earth(uakes.
$i1er2ent %on1er2ent Trans6or7
/. a!el each type of !oundary as either: $i1er2ent0 %on1er2ent0 or Trans6or7 *oun)ar8:
hh
,. ____________________________________
9. ___________________________________
hh
:. __________________________________
#he end. Please take a minute and look over your we!F(uest to make sure you answered
all (uestions and completed all tasks. Cake sure your name is on the front and turn it in.