Plate Tectonics Webquest

Front

What type of boundary is seen at San Andreas fault in California?

Back

Transform boundary: A type of plate boundary where two plates slide past each other.

Front

What is the name of the future supercontinent that scientists predict will form?

Back

Pangaea Ultima: The hypothetical future supercontinent that may form as continents drift together.

Front

How much do the Himalayas grow each year?

Back

The Himalayas grow higher each year by about an inch.

Front

Which layer of the Earth is broken into several plates?

Back

Lithosphere: The rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

Front

What is the hot, malleable semiliquid part of the upper mantle called?

Back

Aesthenosphere: The semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates move towards each other, often causing one plate to be forced below the other.

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A divergent boundary is where two tectonic plates move apart from each other, leading to the formation of new crust.

Front

What is the significance of the Ring of Fire?

Back

The Ring of Fire is a major area in the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur due to tectonic plate movements.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process by which one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle.