Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics
Name: _________________________________
Period: _______
Date: _____________
When and where on the planet have volcanoes erupted recently? Why do volcanoes occur in those locations?
You'll find out in this Planet Diary activity. Find the on-line version here in order to use the available
links below: (http://www.planetdiary.com/background/geoact6.html)
1. Check out the Weekly Volcanic Activity report. (http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/)
1. Choose any eight current eruptions to complete the first three columns of the table below.
2. For the last column, refer to this USGS map of tectonic plates.
(http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/plate_tectonics/plates.php)
3. This world map will help match latitude/longitude of the volcanoes to their plates.
(http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov/imagemaps/)
Name
Country
Latitude/ Longitude
Tectonic Plates
2. Go to The Action is at the Edges. *(http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/pltec/pltec3.html)
List the three things that can happen when tectonic plates meet.
3. Read about *divergent plate boundaries. What happens along divergent boundaries?
4. View this animation of sea-floor spreading.
(http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/animate/A48.gif) How do volcanoes form on the ocean
floor?
5. Look at *convergent plate boundaries. What happens along convergent boundaries?
6. Describe how volcanoes form in a subduction zone.
7. Volcanoes that occur at neither divergent nor convergent boundaries are hot spot volcanoes.
(http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/hotspots.html). Describe how a hot spot volcano forms.
8. Refer to the volcanoes you listed in question 1. Mark those that occur at convergent boundaries
"C",those along divergent boundaries "D", and hot spot volcanoes "H".
9. *TYPE YOUR ANSWERS ON A SEPARATE SHEET AND ATTACH TO THE BACK OF THIS
ACTIVITY.