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Mrs. Giorgianni/Physical Setting Earth Science
UNIT V:
PLATE TECTONICS/EARTH’S INTERIOR
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own
reason for existing.
Albert Einstein
Main Concepts/Ideas:
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The mantle is like silly putty with plates riding
on it. We know this because of seismic wave
data (ESRT page 10)
Dense, mafic ocean crust sits lower in the mantle
than felsic, granitic continental crust.
Volcanoes occur at subduction boundaries and
hot spots like Hawaii.
Rising heat from convection pulls apart the
plates at divergent boundaries. Plates submerge
or collide at convergent boundaries.
Plate boundaries are the site of most
earthquakes, volcanoes and young mountain
ranges.
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The focus is where an earthquake occurs
underground, where plates rub against each other.
The epicenter is directly above the focus.
P-Waves move faster than S-Waves. S-Waves
don’t travel through liquids, wo we know the outer
core is liquid.
ESRT has a chart depicting a cross-section of Earth
with all the particulars.
If you know the distance, you can read the travel
time of the P and S waves.
Key Questions:
 What are the three main types of boundaries and how do they move?
 How did the Hawaiian Islands form?
 Explain the difference between an earthquake’s focus and epicenter.
 Compare and contrast S-Waves and P-Waves
 What information can you infer from the Travel Time graph on page 11 of your ESRT?
Vocabulary:
Vocab #1 ~ Feb 10
Asthenosphere
Convergent Boundary
Crust
Divergent Boundary
Earthquake
Vocab #2 ~ Feb 18
Epicenter
Focus
Intensity
Lithosphere
Magnitude
Vocab #3 ~ Feb 24
Moho Interface
Plate Tectonics
Subduction
P-Waves
S-Waves
Vocab #4 ~ March 3
Rift Valley
Seismic Waves
Shadow Zone
Transform Boundary
Tsunami
Lab Activities:
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Crustal Boundaries
Sea-Floor Spreading
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Origin of the Hawaiian Islands
Locating Earthquake epicenters
Castle Learning Homework Assignments:
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Castle Learning Week #23/Vocab #1, due February 10
Castle Learning Week #24/Vocab #2, due February 18
Castle Learning Week #25/Vocab #3 due February 24
Castle Learning Week #26/Vocab #4, due March 3
Giorgianni ~ Unit V Outline 2013/2014
Quizzes/Unit Test:
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Topic Quizzes will be given after each sub-unit:
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Crustal Boundaries
Earththquake location
Plate Tectonics Unit Test ~ Sometime around January 18
o 25 Multiple choice questions – BRING A PENCIL
o 5 Short answer questions
Unit Review of Key Ideas:
Plate Tectonics
1. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur at plate boundaries, like the Ring of Fire.
2. Convection depends upon Density. Warmer material is less dense and rises.
3. Convection drives MANY things, such as atmospheric movement and convection in the mantle
causing Plate movements.
4. Rising heat from convection pulls apart the plates at divergent boundaries. Plates submerge or
collide at convergent boundaries.
5. Volcanoes occur at hot spots, example, Hawaii. That plate is moving to the NW, as seen by age
of islands.
6. The focus is where an earthquake occurs underground when plates rub against each other. The
epicenter is directly above it.
7. P-waves move faster than S-waves. S-waves don’t move through liquids, so we know the outer
core is liquid. ESRT has a great chart showing a cross-section of earth.
8. If you know the difference in arrival time of the P and S waves, you can “slide” to the distance
on ESRT.
9. If you know the distance, you can read the travel time of either P or S wave.
10. If you know the travel time, you can subtract that from arrival time to get origin time.
11. The denser, mafic ocean crust sits lower in the mantle than the felsic, granitic continental crust.
12. The mantle is like silly putty, with the plates riding on it. We know this from earthquake wave
data.
13. Three seismograms are needed to pinpoint the exact location of an earthquake epicenter.
14. Seismic wave data provides evidence of the density of Earth’s interior.
15. The greater the distance between the S and P wave arrival times, the greater the distance from the
earthquake epicenter.
Giorgianni ~ Unit V Outline 2013/2014