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 _crust_ and a tiny !it of the _upper mantle_.
%. $he plates of the lithosphere move &or float' on this hot( mallea!le _semili)uid_
*one in the upper mantle( directly underneath the lithosphere. $his is known as the
_lower mantle _.
+. $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
#.0hat did "arth look like #12 million years ago- $he continents of "arth were clustered
together in formation that a scientist named _ Pangaea _. $he scientist that named 3Pangaea4
was a 5erman scientist !y the name of _ /lfred_ _ 0egener_ . 6e theori*ed that 3Pangaea7 split
apart and the different landmasses( or continents( drifted to their current locations on the glo!e.
0egener8s theories of plate movement !ecame the !asis for the development of the theory of _
_Plate_ _$ectonics_.
%. 9rder the images of "arth8s plates in order from oldest or earliest &1' to most recent &1'.
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
Eurasian
Pacific
African
South American Australian
African
Antartican

#. $he place where the two plates meet is called a __:oundary__. :oundaries have different
names depending on how the two plates are moving in relationship to each other.
/. .f two plates are pushing towards each other it is called a _;onvergent_.
:. .f two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a _Divergent_.
;. .f two plates are sliding past each other it is a called a _$ransform_.
%. a!el the type of !oundary depicted in each image !elow.
Transform Diverent !onverent
+. Plates and :oundaries ;hallenge. ,ollow directions for the challenge. <ecord your results
!elow:
Part .. Num!er of correctly placed plates = _____11________
Part ... Num!er of !oundary types correctly la!eled = _____1>/##_____
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. 9ceanic
crust tends to !e denser and thinner than continental crust( so the denser oceanic crust
gets !ent and pulled under( or subducted( !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 earth?s surface and !uilds up in
magma cham!ers( where it feeds and creates volcanoes on the overriding plate. 0hen
this magma finds its way to the surface through a vent in the crust( the volcano erupts(
e@pelling lava and ash. /n e@ample of this is the !and of active volcanoes that encircle the
Pacific 9cean( often referred to as the <ing of ,ire.
<oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
Au!duction Bone C The area where one plate is being under another
Dagma C Molten rock, gases, and solid crystals
$rench C a steep-sided depression in the ocean
Eolcano C A vent in the earths surface through magma and gases erupt
Eolcanic /rc C Arch shaped chain of volcanoes in subduction zone
,ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
!ontinental
Oceanic

/ su!duction *one is also generated when two oceanic plates collide F the older plate is
forced under the younger one( and it leads to the formation of chains of volcanic islands
known as island arcs.
Collision "ones and $ountains
0hat happens when two continental plates collide- :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. .nstead( a collision !etween two continental
plates crunches and folds the rock at the !oundary( lifting it up and leading to the formation
of mountains.
,ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
!ontinental
!ontinental
<oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
;ontinental ;rust C The earths crust that makes up the continents
Dountain C A high, large mass of earth and rock that rises above the earths surface with
steep or sloping sides
#. /t dier!ent boundaries( tectonic plates are moving away from each other. 9ne 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 new ocean floor and
new oceanic crust.
0hen two continental plates diverge( a valleyGlike 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. .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 earth)uakes !ecause edges
of tectonic plates are Hagged rather than smooth. /s the plates grind past each other( the
Hagged edges strike each other( catch( and stick( 7locking7 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 strikeGslip fault. $he !estGstudied strikeGslip fault is the Aan /ndreas ,ault in ;alifornia.
+. ;omplete the Plate .nteractions ;hallenge and $est Akills )uestions.
Dy score for Plate .nteractions ;hallenge = __1 / 1#
Dy score for $est Akills )uestions = 1# out of %2 or +2 I
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
Part V. Questions 'ou should be able to ans(er no( that 'ou co&pleted this (eb)uest.
Note G you may go !ack to the we!site and review to assist in answering the
following )uestions.
;onvergent :oundary
&ocean C continental'
;onvergent :oundary
&ocean C ocean'
;onvergent :oundary
&continental C continental'
1. DeepGocean ________________ and
_______________ are created !y convergent
!oundaries of ocean and continental crust.
#. DeepGocean _________________ (
________________( and _____________ are
created !y convergent !oundaries of ocean
and ocean crust.
%. ________________________ 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
$ransform !oundary !ecause two plates move
against each other( !uilding up tension( then
release the tension is a sudden Herk 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&
1. a!el each type of !oundary as either: *ier!ent, Coner!ent, or Trans%or& Boundar':
hh
/. ;onvergent
:. $ransform
hh
;. Divergent
$he end. Please take a minute and look over your we!G)uest to make sure you answered
all )uestions and completed all tasks. Dake sure your name is on the front and turn it in.