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.
#. $he lithosphere is made up of the crust______ and a tiny !it of the __atmoshpher_______
___________.
%. $he plates of the lithosphere move &or float' on this hot( mallea!le __rock________
_________
)one in the upper mantle( directly underneath the lithosphere. $his is known as the
________________astenophere_______.
*. $he layer of "arth that is the only li+uid layer is the _____mantle______ ___________.
Part II. Plate Tectonics. Use the following link to find these answers:
http://www.learner.org/ interactives /dynamicearth/drift.htm l
A B
1 crust
2mantle
3outer core
4inner core
5 mantle
1. $rue or ,alse- .mage / depicts what "arth looks like today. &circle the correctanswer'
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
#.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 __Alfred Wegener __________
_____________ . 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
tectonics________ ________________.
%. 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 amarican
eurasian

pacific
African
South american african australilan
antartic
#. $he place where the two plates meet is called a ____________________. :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 _______________________.
:. .f two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a ______________________.
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
;. .f two plates are sliding past each other it is a called a __________________________.
%. a!el the type of !oundary depicted in each image !elow.
divergent
trasnform convergent
*. Plates and :oundaries ;hallenge. ,ollow directions for the challenge. <ecord your results
!elow:
Part .. Num!er of correctly placed plates = __________1>________________
Part ... Num!er of !oundary types correctly la!eled = ______*____________
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 ______converging_____ with each other. $he
events that occur at these !oundaries are linked to the types of plates &oceanic or
____contental___________' 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 __smaller___________ than
continental crust( so the denser oceanic crust gets !ent and pulled under( or
__cracked______________( !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
___valcano________. $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
____volcanol____________ on the overriding plate. 0hen this magma finds its way to
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
the surface through a vent in the crust( the volcano erupts( e@pelling _____magma______
and
__sediments________. /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 ____where one plate is !eing puled under
Dagma C melted rock crystles and gases
$rench E a steep valley on ocean floor

Folcano Ca vent in the earth surface
Folcanic /rc C an arc shaped vain of valcanos
,ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
/ su!duction )one is also generated when two oceanic plates collide G the older plate is
forced under the __suduction )one____________ one( and it leads to the formation of
chains of volcanic islands known as ___volcanic arc_________ ___________.
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 __________________ .
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
,ill in the type of crust converging in the image !elow.
<oll your mouse over the image to find the definitions of the words !elow:
;ontinental ;rust C crust that makes up continents
Dountain C large mass of earth
____________________________________________________________
#. /t dier!ent boundaries( tectonic plates are moving _apart_________ from each other.
9ne result of huge masses of crust moving apart is ___rifts___________ 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 _____rift__________ ___________. $he magma also spreads
outward( forming _volcanos________ ocean floor and __trenches_______ oceanic crust.
0hen two _____contintal__________ plates diverge( a valleyElike rift develops. $his
__________ 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 _______________( 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 ________________ !ecause
edges of tectonic plates are Hagged rather than ____________. /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
____________ !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 _________________ ____________. $he !estEstudied strikeEslip fault is the Aan
/ndreas ,ault in _______________.
*. ;omplete the Plate .nteractions ;hallenge and $est Akills +uestions.
Dy score for Plate .nteractions ;hallenge = __________________________
Dy score for $est Akills +uestions = _______ out of %2 or ____ I____
Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Period ____
Part V. Questions 'ou should be able to ans(er no( that 'ou co&pleted this (eb)uest.
Note E 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. DeepEocean ________________ and
_______________ are created !y convergent
!oundaries of ocean and continental crust.
#. DeepEocean _________________ (
________________( 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
_________________ !oundary !ecause two
plates move against each other( !uilding up
tension( then release the tension is a sudden Herk
of land called an
_________________
___.
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
/. ____________________________________
:. ___________________________________
hh
;. __________________________________
$he end. Please take a minute and look over your we!E+uest to make sure you answered
all +uestions and completed all tasks. Dake sure your name is on the front and turn it in.