Plate tectonics

Plate tectonics explains how the continents broke apart and moved to their current positions. Pangea wasn't the only supercontinent and scientists believe that there could be future supercontinents as well.​

​So what happened?

Around 225 million years ago, all current continents on Earth were connected as one supercontinent- Pangea.

​When was Pangea around?

​Pangea- Supercontinent and plate tectonics

what is Pangea?

The super continent that Alfred Wegener described in his theory of Continental Drift

Around 225 million years ago, all current continents on Earth were connected as one supercontinent- Pangea.
what is plate tectonics?

Plate tectonics explains how the continents broke apart and moved to their current positions. Pangea wasn't the only supercontinent and scientists believe that there could be future superc

Multiple Choice

About how fast is Earth's surface (lithosphere) moving?

• as fast as my teacher walks (pretty slowly)

• as fast as your nails grow

• as fast as a student leaves the building on the last day of school

Multiple Choice

The idea that the continents were once part of a single landmass that broke apart and

moved is

• Continental Drift

• Tectonic Plates

• Transform

Multiple Choice

Pangea was:

• A great sandwich restaurant.

• An old continent.

• The only supercontinent.

• A well-known supercontinent.

Multiple Choice

Earth's crust is broken up into several large rocky pieces called ...

• plates
• faults
• fossils
• puzzle pieces

The earth moves! what is causes the movement?

We have many pieces of evidence to this fact. some we can even feel; like earthquakes.
So what is causes the movement? Magma! Deep in the Earth, molten rock churns as it heats and cools in convection currents. This moves the earths plates on top, and even creates and new and destroys old plates.

Multiple Select

Convection currents happen in the mantle. The outer core heats magma around it and causes it to become less dense. Because the magma is less dense than the material around it, it starts to rise toward the crust. Since the crust is not hot, the magma starts to cool as it gets close to the crust. Since it is cooling, it gets denser and starts to sink back down toward the outer core.

Use the information above to answer the following question: Which of the following TWO things happen to magma causing it to rise?

• It gets cooler.

• It gets warmer.

• It gets denser.

• It gets less dense.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT evidence of Earth's moving lithosphere? Look a the choices provided and there should be one that stands out as incorrect.

• earthquake & volcanic activity

• human remain evidence

• similar fossils found on continents that are now very far apart

Multiple Choice

Which of these is a key piece of evidence of contiental drift?

• Continent shapes
• Fossil record
• Rock layers
• All of the above

Multiple Choice

Metiorologist who porposed theory that continents move

• Alfred Wegener

• Pangea

• Rock Strata

Multiple Choice

The theory of plate tectonics helps explain which of the following?

• the symbiotic relationship between tubeworms and bacteria

• the extinction of the dinosaurs

• the movement of continents and the occurrence of volcanoes and earthquakes

Multiple Choice

This evidence shows ancient animals lived on several continents, even though they are an ocean apart.

• Mountain Range Evidence

• Glacial Evidence

• Fossil Evidence

Multiple Choice

Similar patterns are found around the world in high peaks.

• Mountain Range Evidence

• Glacial Evidence

• Fossil Evidence

Multiple Choice

Marks left behind showing direction of ice movement

• Mountain Range Evidence

• Glacial Evidence

• Fossil Evidence

Multiple Choice

Lines of similar age/type matching on different continents

• Alfred Wegener

• Pangea

• Rock Strata

Multiple Choice

Mega continent made of combined continents

• Alfred Wegener

• Pangea

• Rock Strata

Multiple Select

Mark only those that are evidence for Plate Tectonics:

• Rock Strata

• Porosity

• Fossil Record

• Acceleration

• Continental Drift

Multiple Choice

The hot, plastic-like layer of Earth, made of magma. 

• Inner Core
• Mantle
• Crust
• Outer Core

Multiple Choice

The hot, liquid layer of Earth, made of iron and nickel.

• Inner Core
• Mantle
• Crust
• Outer Core

Multiple Select

Mark the different types of motion you see of the Earth's plates (pieces of lithosphere).

• <- ->

  apart

• -> <-

  together

• the lithosphere is NOT moving, because there is NO lithosphere. This is all a conspiracy theory by teachers to torture students.

Multiple Choice

The dense, solid center of Earth, made of iron and nickel.

• Inner Core
• Mantle
• Crust
• Outer Core

Divergent Boundary

• Plates/Lithosphere pieces move apart

• Material from the asthenosphere fills the gap - we get lava/volcanic activity on the surface of Earth

• At one point a divergent boundary started in KS - but then stopped! Maybe it will restart again?!

Explanation Slide...

Check this out...

Multiple Choice

At divergent boundaries plates are moving away from each other. What happens in the space left between them?

• Magma comes up, cools and hardens making new crust

• Water comes up and fills the gap

• Grass comes up and fills the gap

Multiple Choice

What happens to the magma that comes up at divergent boundaries?

• It turns green

• Nothing happens to the magma

• The magma melts, wait isn't magma a liquid already?! I'm so confused.

• The magma cools and hardens into new crust

Transform Boundary

• Notice the plates are still touching

• One goes one direction, the other the opposite

• This boundary is found in California!

Multiple Choice

What type of boundary is in this image?

• convergent plate boundary
• divergent plate boundary
• transform plate boundary
• subduction

Multiple Choice

What type of boundary is formed when plates slide past each other?

• convergent

• when you like break up with your significant other, but are still friends.

• divergent

• transform

Multiple Choice

Last motion is when the two plates collide! Looking at the model image, which option below is most likely to happen to Earth's surface?

• same thing as a transform boundary, just some cracks near the boundary

• Volcanoes & Mountains oh My!

• My teacher is dying looking at this yummy image. I think I am craving chocolate now too!

Convergent Boundary

• Plates Collide

• Creates mountains, volcanic mountains, or volcanic islands (depending on what plates are colliding - will go into detail in another lesson

• NW U.S. - Cascade Mountains are all volcanic mountains!!!

Multiple Choice

What is it called when plates push together?

• divergent

• convergent

• transform

• all of the above

Multiple Choice

Name the boundary

• convergent boundary
• divergent boundary
• transform boundary
• sergent boundary

Multiple Choice

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

• convergent, divergent, transform

• constant, diverse, transformers

• transformers are robots in disguise

Multiple Select

Everytime the lithosphere moves, we get earthquakes. Which boundary motion will create an earthquake.

• Convergent

  (plates move together)

• Divergent

  (plates move apart)

• Transform

  (plates slide past eachother)

Plate Tectonics

(formerly known as continental drift)

• Earth's lithosphere is moving around

• Movement of heat (convection) in the asthenosphere is creating this motion

• The lithosphere still is moving

• Earthquakes are what happen when the lithosphere moves!

Multiple Choice

The boundary between two plates that collide with one another.

• Divergent Plate Boundary
• Convergent Plate Boundary
• Transform Plate Boundary
• Subversive Plate Boundary

Multiple Choice

The boundary between two plates that pull apart from one another.

• Divergent Plate Boundary
• Convergent Plate Boundary
• Transform Plate Boundary
• Subversive Plate Boundary

Multiple Choice

The boundary between two plates that slide past one another. 

• Divergent Plate Boundary
• Convergent Plate Boundary
• Transform Plate Boundary
• Subversive Plate Boundary

Multiple Choice

When two plates collide and one plate slips below the other and down into the mantle. 

• Subduction
• Erosion
• Deposition
• Convection

Multiple Choice

What happens in a liquid or gas when the warmer parts rise and the cooler parts sink.

• Subduction
• Erosion
• Deposition
• Convection

Multiple Choice

A break in the rock created by pressure and movement in the rock. 

• Fault
• Mid-Ocean Ridge
• Ocean Trench
• Focus

Multiple Choice

The cooler, outer rocky shell of Earth.

• Inner Core
• Mantle
• Crust
• Outer Core

Multiple Choice

Mountains that are formed by pressure when magma pushes upward, causes land to bulge upward

• Folded Mountains
• Dome Mountains
• Fault-Block Mountains
• Volcanic Mountains

Multiple Choice

Mountains that are formed by the folding up of rock layers due to the collision of two plates

• Folded Mountains
  
• Dome Mountains
  
• Fault-Block Mountains
  
• Volcanic Mountains
  

Multiple Choice

Mountains created by movement of broken pieces of crust; some push upward others slide downward

• Folded Mountains
• Dome Mountains
• Fault-Block Mountains
• Volcanic Mountains