Plate Motion

Which statement best describes Earth’s outer layer underneath the surface in the image?

• core
• mantle
• asthenosphere
• Underneath both the soil and the ocean, Earth’s outer layer is made of hard, solid rock.

Dr. Choi and his team of geologists have been studying GPS data that shows that two plates moved apart. Which diagram shows what happened between the two plates as they moved away from each other?

• A.Diagram A: Soft, solid rock from underneath the plates rose and hardened, adding solid rock to the edges of both plates

• B.Diagram B: Sand and dirt filled in the gap that was created by the plates moving apart.

• D.Diagram D: A new plate from underneath filled in the gap that was created by the plates moving apart.

• C.Diagram C: Ocean water filled in the gap that was created by the plates moving apart.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Fossil remains of Glossopteris (an extinct plant with large leaves) have been discovered in India and Australia. When they were living, all the Glossopteris were located together on land, but now the Glossopteris fossils are separated by an ocean. What could explain how these fossils got so far apart?

• Volcanic activity.
• India and Australia are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved far apart as soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates over millions of years.

• Glacial movement.
• Wind erosion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

A team of geologists wants to study hard, solid rock under the surface of Earth. The team is considering drilling down in the North Atlantic Ocean (1) and in Sierra Leone (2). Where will the team find hard, solid rock?

• Sierra Leone
• under 1 and 2, because Earth’s entire outer layer is made of hard, solid rock

• South Pacific Ocean
• North Atlantic Ocean

Dr. Steiner and her team have been using GPS to track two plates that are moving toward each other. Which diagram shows what is happening at the place where the plates are moving toward each other?

• B

• D.
• Diagram C: One plate is going underneath the other plate and sinking into the soft rock below.

• A.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

India, a country that is part of Asia, was not always connected to the Asian continent. How did India come to be part of Asia?

• India and Asia are parts of different plates. The plates were sometimes pushed toward each other by earthquakes, and one plate went under the other plate into soft, solid rock.

• India and Asia are parts of different plates. The plates floated toward each other across the ocean.

• India and Asia are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved toward each other over millions of years. When the plates hit each other, they broke into smaller pieces.

• India and Asia are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved toward each other as one plate went under the other plate into soft, solid rock over millions of years.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which statement best describes Earth’s outer layer underneath the surface in the image?

• core
• Underneath both the soil and the ocean, Earth’s outer layer is made of hard, solid rock.

• lithosphere
• mantle

Dr. Mendoza and his team are studying two plates that are far apart from each other. However, these two plates used to be next to each other. Which diagram shows what happened between these plates?

Responses

• 
  

• The plates shifted vertically.
• Diagram B: Soft, solid rock from underneath the plates rose and hardened, adding solid rock to the edges of both plates.

• N/A
• The plates rotated in opposite directions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Similar rock formations have been discovered in the United States and Morocco. These rock formations were formed at the same time and are made of the same types of rocks. What could explain how these rocks got so far apart?

• Glacial movement.
• Volcanic activity.
• The United States and Morocco are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved far apart as soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates over millions of years.

• Tectonic plate movement

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

A team of engineers wants to study hard, solid rock under the surface of Earth. The team is considering drilling down in South Korea (1) and in the Yellow Sea (2). Where will the team find hard, solid rock?

Responses

• 
  

• Yellow Sea (2)
• North Korea
• under 1 and 2, because Earth’s entire outer layer is made of hard, solid rock

• South Korea (1)

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4