Plate Tectonics Review Webquest
Part 1: Earth’s Structure - Use the following link to find these answers.
https://www.learner.org/wp-content/interactive/dynamicearth/index.html
1. Click “Start your exploration” and then label the layers of Earth in the diagram below:
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
4. ______________________________________
5. ______________________________________
2. The lithosphere is made up of ________________ and tiny bit of the ________________
________________ this layer is divided into several constantly (very slowly) moving plates
of solid rock that hold the ________________ and ________________.
3. The plates of the lithosphere move (or float) on this hot, malleable ________________
zone in the upper mantle, directly underneath the lithosphere. This is known as the
________________.
4. The layer of Earth that is the only liquid layer is the ________________ ________________.
*Click Next Chapter: Plate Tectonics
Part 2: Plate Tectonics
1. Image A depicts what Earth looks like today. Circle One TRUE FALSE
What did the Earth look like 250 million years ago? The continents of Earth were
clustered together in a formation that a scientist named ________________. The
scientist that named this was a German scientist by the name of ________________
________________. He theorized that “Pangaea” split apart and the different
landmasses, or continents, drifted to their current locations on the globe. Wegener’s
theories of plate movement became the basis for the development of the theory of
________________ ________________.
*Click Continents Over Time
2. Drag/complete the puzzle to order the images of Earth’s plates in order from
oldest/earliest (1) to most recent (5). Check your answer first!
*Click Plates & Boundaries at the top
1. Name the missing tectonic plates from the blanks on the image below.
1. ________________ 2. ________________ 3. ________________ 4. ________________
5. ________________ 6. ________________ 7. ________________
2. The place where two plates meet is called a ________________. Boundaries have
different names depending on how the two plates are moving in relationship to each
other.
A. If two plates are pushing towards each other, it is called a ________________.
B. If tow plates are moving apart from each other, it is called a ________________.
C. If two plates are sliding past each other, it is called a ________________.
3. Label the type of boundary depicted in each image below.
4. Plates & Boundaries Challenge. Follow directions for the challenge. Record your
results below.
Part I. Number of correctly placed plates = ________________
Part II. Number of boundary types correctly labeled = ________________
*Click Slip, Slide, & Collide at the top
Part 3: Slip, Slide, & Collide
Click “See what happens at different plate boundaries” at the bottom
1. At Convergent boundaries, tectonic plates ________________ with each other. The
events that occur at these boundaries are linked to the types of plates (oceanic or
________________) that are interacting.
Subduction Zones and Volcanoes
At some convergent boundaries, an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate.
Oceanic crust tends to be ________________ and ________________ than continental crust,
so the denser oceanic crust gets bent and pulled under, or ________________, beneath
the lighter and thicker continental crust. This forms what is called a subduction
zone. As the oceanic crust sinks, a deep oceanic ________________, or valley, is formed
at the edge of the continent. The crust continues to be forced deeper into Earth,
where high heat and pressure cause trapped water and other gasses to be released
from it. This, in turn, makes the base of the crust melt, forming ________________. The
magma formed at a subduction zone rises up towards Earth’s surface and builds up
in magma chambers, where it feeds and creates ________________ on the overriding
plate. When this magma finds its way to the surface through a vent in the crust, the
volcano erupts, expelling ________________ and ________________. An example of this is
the band of active volcanoes that encircle the Pacific Ocean, often referred to as the
Ring of Fire.
Click on the picture terms to find the definitions of the words below:
Subduction Zone - _______________________________________________________________________
Magma - _________________________________________________________________________________
Trench - __________________________________________________________________________________
Volcano - _________________________________________________________________________________
Volcanic Arc - ____________________________________________________________________________
Fill in the type of crust converging in the image below:
A subduction zone is also generated when two oceanic plates collide - the older
plate is forced under the ________________________ one, and it leads to the formation of
chains of volcanic islands known as ________________ ________________.
Collision Zones and Mountains
What happens when two continental plates collide? The rock making up continental
plates is generally lighter and ________________ ________________ than oceanic rock, it is
too light to get pulled under the Earth and turned into magma. Instead, a collision
between two continental plates crunches and folds the rock at the boundary, lifting it
up and leading to the formation of __________________________ _________
__________________________ __________________________.
Fill in the type of crust converging in the image below:
Click on the picture terms to find the definitions of the words below:
Continental Crust - _______________________________________________________________________
Mountain -
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________.
2. (click next) At divergent boundaries, tectonic plates are moving ________________ from
each other. But if these huge masses of crust are moving apart, what happens to the
space left between them? Divergent boundaries in the middle of the ocean
contribute to ________________ ________________. As plates made of oceanic crust pull
apart, a crack in the ocean floor appears. Magma then oozes up from the mantle to
fill in the space between the plates, forming a raised ridge called ________________-
________________ ________________. The magma also spreads outward, forming new
ocean and new ________________ ________________.
When two _________________________ plates diverge, a valley-like rift develops. This
________________ is a dropped zone where the plates are pulling ________________. As
the crust widens and thins, valleys form in and around the area, as do
________________, which may become increasingly active. Early in the rift formation,
streams and rivers flow into the low valleys and long, narrow lakes can be created.
Eventually, the widening crust along the (divergent) boundary may become thin
enough that a piece of the continent breaks off, forming a ________________
________________ ________________.
3. At transform boundaries, tectonic plates are not moving directly toward or directly
away from each other. Instead, two tectonic plates ________________ past each other in
a horizontal direction. This kind of boundary results in a ________________. A fault is a
crack or ________________ in the Earth’s crust that is associated with this movement.
Transform boundaries and the resulting faults produce many ________________ because
edges of tectonic plates are jagged rather than ________________. As the plates grind
past each other, the jagged edges strike each other, catch, and stick, “locking” the
plates in place for a time.
The motion of the plates at a transform boundary has given this type of fault
another name, a ________________ ________________. The best-studied strike-slip fault is
the San Andreas Fault in ________________(state).
4. Complete the Plate Interactions Challenge and Test Skills questions.
My score for Plate Interactions Challenge = ________________
My score for Test Skills questions = ________________out of 30 or ________________%
Part 4: Questions you should be able to answer now that you completed this
Webquest *Note - you may go back to the website and review to assist in answering the
following questions.
1. Deep-ocean ________________ and
________________are created by convergent
boundaries of ocean and continental crust.
2. Deep-ocean ________________,
________________, and ________________-
________________ are created by convergent
boundaries of ocean and ocean crust.
5. Circle the correct type of boundary for each description below:
A. The boundary where two plates meet and trenches are formed.
Divergent Convergent Transform
B. The plates move away from each other allowing magma to create new ocean crust.
Divergent Convergent Transform
C. The plates move in opposite directions building up tension until they slip causing
earthquakes.
Divergent Convergent Transform
6. Label each type of boundary as either: Divergent, Convergent, or Transform
A. ______________________________________
B. _____________________________________
C. _____________________________________
