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
#. $he lithosphere is made up of the _%rust__ and a tiny !it of the &antle_______.
'. $he plates of the lithosphere move (or float) on this hot* mallea!le ______semi+li,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 0uter %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 1alse2 3mage . depicts what "arth looks like today. 1.4"
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
#.5hat did "arth look like #67 million years ago2 $he continents of "arth were clustered
together in formation that a scientist named __Pangea___. $he scientist that named
8Pangaea9 was a :erman scientist !y the name of .lfred 5egener___ . ;e theori-ed
that 8Pangaea< split apart and the different landmasses* or continents* drifted to their
current locations on the glo!e. 5egener=s theories of plate movement !ecame the !asis
for the development of the theory of Plate tectonics_________.
'. 0rder the images of "arth=s plates in order from oldest or earliest (1) to most recent (6).
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.
North American Plate

Eurasian Plate
Pacific Plate
African Plate Australian Plate
South American
Plate
Antarctica Plate
#. $he place where the two plates meet is called a __>oundary_____. >oundaries have different
names depending on how the two plates are moving in relationship to each other.
.. 3f two plates are pushing towards each other it is called a __%onvergent !oundary___.
>. 3f two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a __Divergent !oundary___.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
%. 3f two plates are sliding past each other it is a called a __$ransform !oundary________.
/. Plates and >oundaries %hallenge. 1ollow directions for the challenge. ?ecord your results
!elow:
Part 3. Num!er of correctly placed plates @ ______A__
Part 33. Num!er of !oundary types correctly la!eled @ ___B
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.
Subduction "ones and Volcanoes
.t some convergent !oundaries* an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate.
0ceanic 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 earthCs surface and !uilds up in magma cham!ers* where it feeds and creates
_su!duction -one___ on the overriding plate. 5hen this magma finds its way to
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
the surface through a vent in the crust* the volcano erupts* eDpelling __lava ___ and
__ash___. .n eDample of this is the !and of active volcanoes that encircle the Pacific
0cean* often referred to as the ?ing of 1ire.
?oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
4u!duction Eone F _# oceanic plates collide older under younger____
&agma + _________melted crust_________________________
$rench + ____. deep oceanic valley______________
Golcano + ____overriding plates fed !y magma that !uilds up and eDplodes_________
Golcanic .rc + ________Golcano islands from a su!duction -one
1ill 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 ___Golcanic arcs____ ___________.
Collision "ones and $ountains
5hat happens when two continental plates collide2 >ecause the rock making up
continental plates is generally lighter and less dense than oceanic rock* it is too light to get
pulled under the earth and turned into magma. 3nstead* a collision !etween two continental
plates crunches and folds the rock at the !oundary* lifting it up and leading to the formation
of _tsunamis____ .
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
1ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
Continental Crust Continental Crust
?oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
%ontinental %rust + _$he earth=s crust that makes up continents_____
&ountain + __. high large mass of earth and rock that rises a!ove the surface of the earth
with steep sides________
#. .t dier!ent boundaries* tectonic plates are moving __away___ from each other. 0ne
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 _mid+ocean ridge ___________. $he magma also spreads outward* forming
_________ ocean floor and _________ oceanic crust.
5hen two ____continental___ plates diverge* a valley+like 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. 3nstead* 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 earthCs 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* <locking< 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 __strike+slip fault line_____. $he !est+studied strike+slip fault is the 4an .ndreas 1ault in
___%alifornia____.
/. %omplete the Plate 3nteractions %hallenge and $est 4kills ,uestions.
&y score for Plate 3nteractions %hallenge @ ____J______
&y score for $est 4kills ,uestions @ __#6__ out of '7
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
Part V. Questions 'ou should be able to ans(er no( that 'ou co&pleted this (eb)uest.
Note + you may go !ack to the we!site and review to assist in answering the
following ,uestions.
%onvergent >oundary
(ocean F continental)
%onvergent >oundary
(ocean F ocean)
%onvergent >oundary
(continental F continental)
1. Deep+ocean ___mountains__ and
__volcanoes____ are created !y convergent
!oundaries of ocean and continental crust.
#. Deep+ocean _trenches _______ *and
__ridges___ are created !y convergent
!oundaries of ocean and ocean crust.
'. __&ountains___ 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
_transform___ !oundary !ecause two plates move
against each other* !uilding up tension* then
release the tension is a sudden Ierk of land called
an __earth,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&
6. a!el each type of !oundary as either: *ier!ent, Coner!ent, or Trans%or& Boundar':
hh
A. Convergent
>. $ransform
hh
%. Divergent
$he end. Please take a minute and look over your we!+,uest to make sure you answered
all ,uestions and completed all tasks. &ake sure your name is on the front and turn it in.