Layers of the Earth and Plate Tectonics Activity

What is Geology Geo- Earth Ology is the study of This activity will help us study the earth by learning what it is made of and how it can be changed

4 layers of the Earth Crust Mantle Inner core Outer core

Milky Way- cut in half Chocolate- crust- thinnest layer made of rocks and soil (land we walk on and under the sea) Caramel- mantle- holt molten rock, what would come out of a volcano Light brown layer- outer core- liquid iron Bottom layer of chocolate- inner core, solid iron and is the hottest layer (almost as hot as sun)

Plate Tectonics Plates- large section of the Earth’s crust that slowly move over partially melted rock in the upper mantle This movement explain how the Earth’s surface has changed over time and we can predict how it will change in the future  formation, movements, collusions, destruction of Earth’s crust

PT- Activity Frosting- mantle Graham cracker- crust Spread frosting on wax paper Place 2 graham cracker on frosting – make sure they are touching

Divergent Plate Boundary Move plates apart to expose mantle  spreading zone. When plates move apart, it creates cracks in the Earth called rift valley Allows hot, melted rock to come up through the cracks  volcano opening is formed Sea floor spreading- new sea floor created http://geology.com/nsta/divergent-boundary-oceanic.gif

Convergent Plate Boundary Push plates back together until the middle forms a ridge When plates collide they create mountains this is called a collision zone Appalachian mountains – Africa collided with North America during formation of Pangea Destroy sea floor- ocean plates more dense than land plates, when they converge ocean plates slide under land plates

3 sub types Ocean to ocean Ocean to continental Continental to continental http://geology.com/nsta/convergent-plate-boundaries.shtml

Transform Plate boundary Slide the edges of plates against each other This horizontal grinding and sliding of the plates causes earthquakes This is called a shearing fault A fault is a fracture in the Earth’s crust New Madrid Fault- runs along the eastern border of Missouri San Andreas Fault- most studied