The Dynamic Earth

Year 9 Take Home Topic Due: Friday Week 4 Term 1

Text: Core Science 3 (CS3) – Chapter 8

1. Complete the table provided on page 11 to summarise the layers of the Earth including the inner core,
outer core, mantle, crust, lithosphere and asthenosphere.

2. Label the “Cross-section of the Earth – Worksheet 1 & 2” provided on pages 4 & 5.

3. Define lithosphere and asthenosphere. (use a source other than Core Science)

4. Describe the features of the Earth’s crust in terms of types, its location, composition and thickness.

5. Distinguish the difference between the Earth’s “crust” and the Earth’s “tectonic plate”.

6. Outline Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis of Continental Drift.

7. Read through the information provided on pages 6 – 9 then answer all questions in “5.1 – Checkpoint
& Think” on page 9.

8. Complete the “Research Task –Evidence Collected by Scientists & How They Contributed to the
Theory of Plate Tectonics” worksheet provided on page 10.

9. Complete the “Continental Drift Activity Packet” provided on pages 12 – 14.

10. Use an appropriate diagram to explain how convection currents cause the plates to move. Show at least
3 convection cells in your diagram. Hint: Link temperature to the change in density of different mantle
layers.

11. Compare the properties of oceanic crust and continental crust.

12. Complete the provided worksheet “Plate Boundaries” on page 15.

13. Define the terms subduction, mid-ocean ridge, ocean trench, sea-floor spreading and island arc.

14. Hand draw a cross section view of (a) subduction zone and (b) mid-ocean ridge. Label the drawings and
also use arrows to show the direction of plate movement.

15. Redraw the table below with the mixed up items in their correct positions.

Type of Type of Crust Effects Locations

Boundary Movement
Constructive Two continental plates Ocean ridge Indonesia, Japan,
colliding Aleutian Islands
Destructive Two oceanic plates Trench & Volcanic chain Atlantic Ocean
colliding
Transform Oceanic and continental Folded mountain range California
plates colliding
Destructive Two oceanic plates Land dislocation Himalayan
separating Mountains
Destructive Two continental plates Trench & Volcanic Andes Mountains
sliding across island arc

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16. On the attached world map (page 16), you can use the internet or data from textbook or other resources,
hand draw the plate boundaries and name the seven major plates as well as the Nazca, Philippine and
Arabian plates. Then lightly colour in the plates with different colours. Use arrows to indicate the
direction of the plate movement and identify the type of boundary that occur between each plate
boundary.

17. Explain the relationship between the Theory of Plate Tectonics, “The Ring of Fire”, earthquakes and
volcanoes.

18. Explain how “hot spot” activity produced the Hawaiian Islands.

19. Hand draw cross-section diagrams of a normal fault, transform fault and reverse fault. Explain how
these faults occur.

20. Distinguish between a fault and a fold.

21. Hand draw cross-section diagrams of a fold and indicate the syncline and anticline.

22. Explain how earthquakes are produced.

23. Define epicentre and focus and describe what the Richter Scale is used for.

24. Outline the differences between P, S and L earthquake waves.

25. Explain how seismograph records are used to determine the location of earthquakes.

26. Identify the difference between a seismograph and a seismogram.

27. Explain how the difference in arrival time of P and S waves can be used to determine the distance to an
earthquake.

28. Explain how earthquake waves are used to determine the earth’s internal structure.

29. Define these volcanic terms: active, extinct, dormant, magma and lava.

30. Explain how a volcanic eruption can occur, and justify the location of volcanoes on a plate tectonic
map.

31. Explain how hot springs and geysers are formed and how they relate to plate tectonics.

32. Define the terms biosphere, biotic, abiotic, tsunami and cyclone.

33. Read the information provided on pages 17 – 22, then answer the questions on page 22 – 23

34. Complete the attached worksheets: “5.3 – Where are the ocean trenches?”, “5.4 – Where do quakes
happen?”, “5.5 – Volcanoes: where are they?”, “5.6 – Earthquake epicentres”, “5.7 – Comparing P and S
Waves” and “5.10 – Tsunami statistics”.

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Name: _______________________________________ Class: __________________

LABELLING THE CROSS-SECTION OF THE EARTH – WORKSHEET 1

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Name: _______________________________________ Class: __________________

LABELLING THE CROSS-SECTION OF THE EARTH – WORKSHEET 2

HINT:
 Crust
 Inner Core
 Outer Core
 Asthenosphere
 Lithosphere
 Oceanic Crust
 Continental Crust
 Mantle
 Mantle
 Uppermost Mantle

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Name: _______________________________________ Class: __________________

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Name: _______________________________________ Class: __________________

Research Task:

Evidence Collected by Scientists & How They Contributed to the Theory of Plate Tectonics

Identify the evidence gathered by the scientists listed below and explain how their findings contributed as
evidence to the changing idea of the Continental Drift theory to the new theory of Plate Tectonics.

William Maurice “Doc” Ewing (1906 – 1974):

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Marie Tharp (1920 – 2006):

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Harry Hammond Hess (1906 – 1969):

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Name: _______________________________________ Class: __________________

THE LAYERS OF THE EARTH

The structure of the Earth can also be described as a layered sphere. Complete the table below to describe the
layers of the Earth.

What part of the Earth Description of the layer

Layer Is it solid, liquid or gas?
is it found in? (what is it made of?)

Crust

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere

Mantle

Outer Core

Inner Core

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Name: _______________________________________ Class: __________________

PLATE BOUNDARIES
What is a plate boundary? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

What does the movement

What plates are What happens to
Boundary result in? Natural Events Draw the diagram of the boundary and label it
involved? the plates?
& Landform?
Divergent
or
Constructive

Convergent –
Collision
or
Destructive

Convergent –
Subduction
or
Destructive

Transform
(Slipping,
sliding past each
other)

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1.Continental crust
2. Crust
3. Mantle
4. Outer core
5. Inner core
6. Mantle
7. Asthenosphere
8. Lithosphere
9. Oceanic crust
10. Uppermost mantle.

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