Plate Tectonics
This is the theory that the Earth's rigid lithosphere is broken up into plates or chunks, that move slowly around the Earth due to convection currents within the Earth. Plates are continuously being created and destroyed in an on-going process. Students will learn about the different types of plate boundaries, layers of the Earth, how the Earth came to be in it's present state, evidence of Earth formation and plate tectonics, and what geology is all about.
Assignments, Labs, Homework and Study Guide to Download:
Available in word doc and in PDF
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Make sure to download the fill in note sheet to go along with the powerpoints.
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Self-Check
1. The Earth is believed to be about _________ billion years old? Answer: 4.61
2. The plates are moving on the Earth at about ____- ____ cm per year. Answer: 1-10 /or rate your fingernails grow.
3. The layer of the Earth that is liquid is _______________. Answer: Outer core
4. The Crust of the Earth is made up of the elements _____ and _____. Answer: Silicon and Oxygen
5. The Mantle of the Earth is made up of the elements _____ , ______, and ______. Answer: Silicon, Oxygen and Magnesium.
6. The Core of the Earth is made up of the elements ______ and ______. Answer: Iron and Nickel
7. The layer of the Earth that has convection currents in it, is the ______________. Answer: Asthenosphere
8. The force that allows gas and dust to clump together in a nebula is _____________. Answer: Gravity
9. Iceland is an example of a ___________ plate boundary. Answer: Divergent
10. The Oregon coast is an example of a __________ plate boundary. Answer: Convergent Ocean-Cont.
11. Japan is an example of a ______________ plate boundary. Answer: Convergent Ocean-Ocean
12. The Himalayan Mts are example of a ___________ plate boundary. Answer: Convergent Cont-Cont.
13. Why don't ALL convergent plate boundaries have volcanoes?
Answer: You need to have subduction, this allows for a plate to melt, and magma to form, which creates a volcano. Convergent continental/Continental does NOT have subduction, thus no volcanoes are formed.
14. How has life changed Earth?
Answer: Life has created an atmosphere with free oxygen. This oxygen rusted the iron out of the oceans turning them from green to blue. Life also has trapped CO2 in rocks, thinning the amount in the atmosphere. This turned the sky from reddish to blue as CO2 thinned.
In addition, review the self-checks that were given in class. You will see those exact questions on your upcoming test.
2. The plates are moving on the Earth at about ____- ____ cm per year. Answer: 1-10 /or rate your fingernails grow.
3. The layer of the Earth that is liquid is _______________. Answer: Outer core
4. The Crust of the Earth is made up of the elements _____ and _____. Answer: Silicon and Oxygen
5. The Mantle of the Earth is made up of the elements _____ , ______, and ______. Answer: Silicon, Oxygen and Magnesium.
6. The Core of the Earth is made up of the elements ______ and ______. Answer: Iron and Nickel
7. The layer of the Earth that has convection currents in it, is the ______________. Answer: Asthenosphere
8. The force that allows gas and dust to clump together in a nebula is _____________. Answer: Gravity
9. Iceland is an example of a ___________ plate boundary. Answer: Divergent
10. The Oregon coast is an example of a __________ plate boundary. Answer: Convergent Ocean-Cont.
11. Japan is an example of a ______________ plate boundary. Answer: Convergent Ocean-Ocean
12. The Himalayan Mts are example of a ___________ plate boundary. Answer: Convergent Cont-Cont.
13. Why don't ALL convergent plate boundaries have volcanoes?
Answer: You need to have subduction, this allows for a plate to melt, and magma to form, which creates a volcano. Convergent continental/Continental does NOT have subduction, thus no volcanoes are formed.
14. How has life changed Earth?
Answer: Life has created an atmosphere with free oxygen. This oxygen rusted the iron out of the oceans turning them from green to blue. Life also has trapped CO2 in rocks, thinning the amount in the atmosphere. This turned the sky from reddish to blue as CO2 thinned.
In addition, review the self-checks that were given in class. You will see those exact questions on your upcoming test.