Plate Tectonics The Earth’s Crust in Motion…
The Theory In 1910 Alfred begins to wonder… What’s the relationship? Perhaps all these pieces used to be connected. Continental drift=slow movement over Earth’s surface 300 million years ago…
Supercontinent Pangea – all lands Reptiles and insects Tropical forrests -coal deposits Tens of Millions of years!
Structure of the Earth’s Interior
How does it work? Plates – pieces of the lithosphere Plates fit closely together along cracks called Plate Boundaries Convection Currents movement
Earth’s Puzzle What plate do we live on? What plates do we border? USGS Earth’s Plates How far do we move every year?
Types of Boundaries Divergent Convergent Transform
Your Task...Get Organized Get into teams of three Each person will focus on one type of boundary –divergent (Column A) –convergent (Column B) –transform (Column C) Look only at your column Make a concept map
A Divergent B Convergent C Transform plates are moving apart new crust is created Magma is coming to the surface plates are coming together crust is returning to the mantle plates are slipping past each other crust is not created or destroyed
A Divergent B Convergent C Transform Continental crust rift valley Oceanic crust mid- ocean ridge 2 continental plates mountain range Plates move against each other Stress builds up Stress is released earthquake 2 oceanic plates or oceanic + continental subduction
The Big Picture
Key Terms for Map convergent boundary divergent boundary transform boundary subduction rift valley mid-ocean ridge continental crust oceanic crust mountain range earthquake