Download Plate Tectonics

Name _______________________
Date ________________
Unit 6 Notes Packet: Plate Tectonics
Block _____
Layers of the Earth
1. ____________________
 Once you get past the soil of the earth, you hit the bedrock, known as the
first layer of Earth called the _______________
 Only about ______ miles thick and _______ miles at its thinnest part
 Found under our __________ and under the ______________
 _____________ and _______________
 Broken into large segments that move called __________________
2. ________________________
 Once you get past the crust, you end up in the second layer called the
___________________
 __________________ layer of the Earth
 Contains the ________________________________ that raise hot mantle
material up and allows cool mantle material to sink
 Creates the motions of ______________________________________
____________________________________(TBD)
3. _____________________________
 Third layer of the Earth is called the ___________________________
 This a _____________ layer of the Earth made of ______________________
 This spinning outer core is what makes the ___________________ that
protects us from the dangerous ____________________________ of space
 It stays liquid because it is the perfect combination of ___________________
and _____________________
4. ____________________________
 The very center of our Earth is called the ___________________
 This is a ________________ chunk of __________________________ that is
the source of our ___________________ on Earth
 It stays solid because of all of the _____________________ that is pressing
down on top of it from all the materials above it.
 The plates are not just made of crust
 The plates of the Earth are made of the _______________ and a the
_______________________________________________ called the
_______________________________
 This plates are constantly moving and changing size and shape
 Under the lithosphere, there is a layer of mantle that is super soft (like
______________________________) that the plates _______________ on top of
 This layer is called the _______________________________
Activity 1: Follow along with the instructor as they diagram
the layer of the Earth beneath us.
Plate Movements
 The plates do not just move in one direction
 3 Types of Movements
 1. _______________________________
 2. _______________________________
 3. __________________________________________________
 All plates are moving at _______________________
 There are two types of plates:
 Continental Plates and Oceanic plates
 Each plate could be doing all three motions, just on
____________________ ______________________
 These movements will create the _________________________ and
_______________________________ that cover the lands and ocean
floors, and other _______________________ that we come in contact
with
Types of Plate Boundaries
 1. __________________________ Plate Boundaries
 Two plates _______________________________
 Where the two plates meet, one is usually __________________________
 Subducted means _______________________________
 The plate that is subducted is ________________________ in the mantle
 This is why convergent plate boundaries are called
_______________________ plate margins
 Examples 
___________________________________________________
 2. _______________________ Plate Boundaries
 Two plates ____________________________
 When the two plates separate, the crust is pulled thin and creates a hole in
the crust called a __________
 This rift will extend down to the mantle, allowing mantle material to rise
and create ______________________________________
 This is why divergent boundaries are called
_____________________ plate margins
 Examples 
____________________________________________________________
 3. ____________________________ Plate Boundaries
 This is where two plates are
________________________________________
 Plates are neither ______________________ or
_______________________
 This can happen between ______________________ plates or between
_________________________ plates
 Where the plates are sliding, they will create a fault, which is where many
earthquakes happen all over the world
 Most active fault
________________________________________
Hazards of Plate Boundaries
 Earthquakes
______________________________________________________
 Occurs at ___________ types of plate boundaries, but happens more often
at ___________________________________ boundaries
 Volcanoes  Expulsion of ___________ and ______________ from the Earth’s
crust
 At convergent boundaries, they can happen _______________________
or on the ______________
 At divergent boundaries, most of the volcanoes happen
__________________
 There are no ____________________________ at transform fault
boundary
 If the eruptions or earthquakes happen underwater, there will be an
_________________________ of the crust
 That will push the ocean water up and create a tsunami
 This is not a ___________________________ because there is nothing
this wave has to do with the ___________________
 All of these hazards will cause massive amounts of
___________________________ and ____________________________ if we
are not prepared for the dangers of nature
Activity 2: Fill in the missing information using the notes
above.
Motion
Convergent
Divergent
Transform
Fault
Anything
Destroyed or
Created?
Dangers as this
Boundary?
Real World
Location
Causes of Plate Motion
 The main theory believes that there is an __________________ distribution of
heat in the mantle, caused by heat from the _____________.
 Hot mantle material will ____________ from near the core and
_________ as it reaches near the lithosphere
 This motion of hot rising and cold sinking is known as a
_______________________ cell
Plate Motions Associated with Convection Cells
1. ______________________
 When ocean lithosphere is being _______________________ beneath
another plate, if _______________ the rest of the lithosphere behind is
down as well.
 This slab pull is the _______________________ arm of the convection
cell
 Found at ______________________ boundaries
2. _______________________
 When oceanic crust is being made at ___________________ plate
boundaries, it is pushing the oceanic lithosphere away from the
_______________ arm of the convection cell
 This motion is found at ______________________ plate
boundaries
3. _____________________________
 The rising mantle materials is the upward arm of the convection cell can
happen in a single place in the middle of a plate and create a
____________________________________
 Example: _______________________
Models of the Mantle Convection Cell
Activity 3: Answer the following questions about plate motions.
1. Are the convection cells under the crust perfect circles in the mantle? ______
2. Where is crust destroyed, at slab pull or ridge push? _______________________
3. What type of motion will create transform fault boundaries, slab pull, ridge push,
mantle plume or none of the above? ____________________________________
4. Where are all the convection cells located, in the crust or the mantle?
_______________
5. Which two types of motions are happening in between plates?
____________________________________________________________
6. Which type of motion is happening in the middle of a plate?
_______________________________
7. A volcano is made at which plate motion(s)?
__________________________________________________________________
Earthquakes
________________________________________________________________________
> Caused by a _____________________ or break in the Earth’s crust
> Is it possible for an earthquake to happen in the mantle? ________
Why Not? ___________________________________________________
> The energy that is released when the rocks begin to move is called
_________________
energy, much like when a rubber band is stretched and the tension ___________
up before it is released
Locations of Earthquakes
1. ___________________________________________ have earthquakes
because there is rock rubbing against rock, creating shockwaves through the crust
2. All other earthquakes will happen at _______________________, which are
__________________________________________________ or cracks in the
Earth that show movement
> If the big earthquake is the initial shock, then what are the shakes after
and before an earthquake?
 ________________________  Smaller earthquakes that occur before
the big earthquake
> Do these always happen ? _________
> How long before the earthquake do foreshocks happen?
_________________
 ________________________  Smaller earthquakes that occur after
the big earthquake
> Why would these cause more damage if they are smaller than the
big earthquake?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Parts of an Earthquake
Focus __________________ point in the
Earth where the earthquake started
>Waves from this will travel in _____
______________________
>If the focus is ___________________
underground, meaning it is closer to the
surface, it is ______________ dangerous
than an earthquake that is deep underground
Epicenter Location on the Earth’s
_______________directly above the focus
of the Earth
>Why would we care more about the
epicenter of an earthquake than the focus?
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
> _______________________ is the measure of how strong the earthquake is
 Higher numbers means that the earthquake is __________________________
3 Types of Earthquake Waves
1. ________________ waves  Waves that travel along the Earth’s surface
>This causes everything on the surface and underground to move
> ______________ wave, but they are the ___________________ of all waves
>Most ___________________________ of the earthquake waves
Why?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
> Can travel though ___________________ only
2. __________________ waves (AKA ___________________)
> These waves will pull and push the ground underneath you
> _______________________ waves, but not the ______________________
> P-waves can travel through ___________________ and ___________________
> Least destructive, but these are the ________ parts of an earthquake that you
feel
3. __________________________ waves (AKA _______________________)
> These waves will cause an up and down motion of the ground
> __________________ waves, but second to the surface waves.
> __________________ that p-waves, but faster than surface waves
> Fairly __________________________, definitely more so than the p-waves
> S-waves cannot travel through ________ and ____________________
*** Can these waves travel through the outer core then? _________**
Seismogram
_______________________________________________________________________
Seismograph
______________________________________________________________________
*** You need _____ of these to find an earthquake epicenter
Activity 4: Using the notes, pick the correct answer choice for the following
questions.
1. Which happens first, a p-wave or an s-wave? ____________________
2. Which has more energy behind it, surface waves or s-waves?
_________________
3. What type of energy is released during an earthquake, convective energy or
elastic energy? _______________________
4. Which is going to cause more property damage, a p-wave or a surface wave?
_______________________
5. Which records an earthquake, a seismogram or a seismograph?
________________________
6. How many seismograms do we need to triangulate an earthquake epicenter, 2 or
3? _________
7. Which is located underground and is the origin point for an earthquake, an
epicenter or a focus? ___________________
8. Why are we more concerned with the epicenter of an earthquake than its focus,
because a focus is farther away from us or because the epicenter is at the surface
near our property?
___________________________________________________
9. Which will travel faster, waves on the surface or waves underground?
_____________________________
10. Why are s-waves more dangerous than p-waves, because one stronger or because
one deals with pre-broken foundations and cracks in walls? ________________
Volcano _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Parts of a Volcano
Magma Chamber _________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Conduit (Pipeline)  ________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Vent __________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Crater _________________________________
________________________________________
Pyroclastics _____________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
*** All volcanoes have some form of these
structures.****
Where do we find volcanoes?
1. At ______________________________________
____________________ boundaries will form more violent and explosive volcanoes
 At ___________________ boundaries, the volcanoes are less violent and less
explosive
2. At __________________________
 When the weakened lithosphere has allowed mantle material to rise through and
creates ________________ in the middle of some oceans
 If they are on continents, then usually create _________________________ under
the surface
Dangers that happen because of Volcanic Eruptions
Viscosity The ability to ____________
> When things flow fast, they have a _________ viscosity and the lava can move up to
50 mph
> When things flow slow, they have a ________ viscosity and the lava moves as slowly
as in inches per hour
 __________ and other aerosols can _______________ out the Sun, making temperatures
_______on a global scale
 Ash can also combine with rain clouds and produce ____________________
 Larger pyroclastics called volcanic ____________ will destroy property upon impact
 Lava flows will ____________ anything that they come in contact with until they have cooled
enough to become _____________ rock
3 Major types of Volcanoes
Activity 5: Use the answer bank to find the answers for the following questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Where are most volcanoes located? _______________________________
What part of a volcano is going to turn magma into lava? __________________
What are some examples of pyroclastics? ___________________________
What is viscosity?
____________________________________________________
5. Which type of volcano has the highest viscosity? _____________________
6. Which type of volcano should we be worried about on the East Coast?
_________________
7. Which type of volcano is found in Hawaii? ____________________
8. What are the associated dangers of a volcanic eruption?
________________________________________________________
9. Which ocean has the most volcanoes located on it? _____________________
10. Why does acid rain happen after a volcanic eruption?
________________________________________________________________
Answer Bank:
Ash, lava bombs, and rock shards
None
Plate Boundaries
Vent
Gases combine with water vapor in the air
Shield
The ability to flow
Composite
Earthquakes and tsunamis
Pacific