TECTONIC WORD POWER
Introduction
Try to use the language of geologists and help others understand the technical terms related to earth
science. There is power in knowing the right words and understanding their meanings.
In this activity, you will solve a crossword puzzle on the layers of the Earth and plate tectonics.
Objective
Familiarize oneself with the terminologies on plate tectonics
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Pen
Procedure
1. Answer the crossword puzzle in the activity sheet. Initially use pencil in answering. If your answers are
complete and final, rewrite the answers legibly with pen.
2. As a class activity, act out each word and let the others guess the word.
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TECTONIC WORD POWER
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ACROSS
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The subducted tectonic plate beneath the Ring of Fire
Fastest type of surface waves
Point of the Earth’s crust directly above an earthquake’s hypocenter
Fracture f the Earth’s crust
Type of force that squeezes rocks together
Layer between the crust and the core
Rigid layer of the Earth; composed of crust and uppermost mantle
A block of rocks that comprise the crust
Theory by Alfred Wegener, which states that continents have moved slowly
to their current locations
Boundary at which two plates slide past each other
Large ocean wave that may result from underwater earthquakes
Bending of rock layers to make mountains
German geophysicist who initiated the study of tectonic plates; surname only
DOWN
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Large landmass, also known as supercontinents
An opening on the Earth’s surface through which volcanic materials, such as
magma, are released
The point within the Earth where seismic energy is first released
Outermost layer of the Earth
Boundary at which two plates move away from each other
Solid, dense core of the Earth
Layer of the Earth that can deform because of the heart from magma
A scientist who studies earthquakes and maps the Earth’s internal structure
Bowl-shaped depression at the top of a volcano
Boundary between two colliding plates
A type of force that pulls rocks apart
A process where a dense tectonic plate sinks underneath a light one
Liquid core of the Earth
Measure of the energy released by an earthquake