Earth's Movin' & Groovin'

Earth's Movin' & Groovin'

By Mrs. C Rodgers

Earth’s surface has not always looked like it does today.

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The movement of Earth’s plates is responsible for changing the landscape in dramatic ways causing earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the formation of mountains, ocean trenches and mid-ocean ridges.

The Theory of Plate Tectonics

Earth’s solid outer crust, the lithosphere, is separated into plates that move over the asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle

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Oceanic and continental plates come together, spread apart, and interact at boundaries all over the planet.​

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Each type of plate boundary generates distinct geologic processes and landforms.

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Multiple Choice

The portion of Earth layer that is broken into plates is...

• Mantle

• Core

• Asthenosphere

• Lithosphere

Multiple Choice

Earth's plates are fixed, that is they do not move

• True

• False

Boundaries...

​Divergent, Convergent & Transform

​Divergent Boundaries

Plates separate, forming a narrow rift valley.

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The creation of oceanic crust, seafloor spreading, is the process that forms new land/crust on Earth.

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The rock closest to the opening of the boundary is the youngest. The rock ages as you move further away from the fissure (opening).​

​Formed when divergent continental boundaries separate. The continental crust stretches and fractures. The fractures eventually widen over time and will create a new tectonic plate.

Rift Valleys

Continental -Continental​

Formed when divergent oceanic boundaries separate and create an underwater mountain range that wraps around the globe like seams on a baseball. As the plates separate, the oceanic crust stretches, fractures and causes molten rock rises to the seafloor, producing enormous volcanic eruptions of basalt

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Mid Ocean Ridge

​Oceanic-Oceanic​

​Convergent Boundaries

Plates collide with one another.

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​One or more plates begins to buckle or subduct which can create mountains, earthquakes, or volcanoes.

​Formed when convergent continental boundaries collide and deform the crust, causing it to buckle, fold, and create new hills and mountains

Mountain Building

Continental - Continental​

Mountain Building

Oceanic - Continental

At convergent boundaries, continental crust is created and oceanic crust is destroyed as it subducts, melts, and becomes magma.

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Convergent plate movement also creates mountains, earthquakes and often forms chains of volcanoes.

Subject | Subject

​Transform Boundaries

Plates slide past each other, horizontally.

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​A well-known transform plate boundary is the San Andreas Fault, which is responsible for many of California’s earthquakes.

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San Andreas Fault

Plates are subducting, spreading, slipping, or colliding. As the plates grind together, they get stuck and pressure builds up. Finally, the pressure between the plates is so great that they break loose

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Earthquakes

​A single tectonic plate can have multiple types of plate boundaries with the other plates that surround it.

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For instance, the Pacific Plate, one of Earth’s largest tectonic plates, includes convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries.

Multiple Choice

The 3 types of plate boundaries are...

• Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary

• Core, Crust, and Mantle

• Transform, Convergent, and Divergent

• Earthquakes, Mountains, and Volcanoes

Multiple Choice

At which boundary is new crust formed

• Transform

• Divergent

• Convergent

Multiple Choice

At which boundary would earthquakes occur

• Transform

• Divergent

• Convergent

Multiple Choice

At which boundary would mountains form

• Transform

• Divergent

• Convergent

Draw

Draw arrows to show a convergent boundary

Draw

Draw arrows to show a divergent boundary

Draw

Draw arrows to show a transfrom boundary