Name:
“Taking a Ride on a Lithospheric Plate”
Warm-up:
1.
Recall: What evidence did Wegener use to support his theory of Continental Drift?
2.
What technology do we have today that could prove the continents are drifting?
Part A: Data from Global Positioning System
Data from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites will help you find out if the position of your community has changed over time. The map shows measurements of movements at GPS recording stations in North America. Each station has a four-character symbol. Arrows show the rate and direction of motion of the Earth’s surface at that station.

1.
Find the NLIB station. How do you know that the NLIB station has moved over time?
2.
In what direction is the NLIB station moving? BE SPECIFIC
3.
The arrow in the lower left corner of the map is a scale. It shows the length of a “20 mm/yr” arrow. What type of measurement would be measured in the units, “mm/yr”?
4.
Is the NLIB station moving more or less than 20 mm/yr? EXPLAIN
5.
Are all the stations on the map moving at the same speed? EXPLAIN
6.
Are all the stations on the map moving in the same direction? EXPLAIN
7.
What is the general or average direction of the movement of North America?
8.
What do you think the Orange lines represent on the graph?
9.
Make a hypothesis as to where most earthquakes take place on this map. EXPLAIN
Part B. Data from a computer model
Computer models that use geologic data also provide information about the changes in position of your community over time. To use this model, you will need to look up the latitude and longitude of your school in decimal format.
1.
Research and Record the latitude and longitude for Louisville. (By convention, latitude is always written first) a.
Latitude: Longitude:
2.
Visit the following website: Relative Plate Motion Calculator
3.
The Calculator will give you two pieces of information. The “azimuth” tells you the direction the plate is moving. The azimuth is a method similar to a clock except it is measured based on angles. 0 represents North and it goes clockwise in degrees for 360 degrees.
(0 o = North, 90 o =East, 180 o = South, and -90 o = West). Using this information, what direction is the plate on which your community is located moving? BE VERY SPECIFIC! a.
First check the NUVEL-1A method. b.
Choose the African Plate as a fixed plate. c.
Choose North America as the rotating plate d.
Input the longitude and latitude (notice! They ask for longitude first!) e.
Press Calculate

4.
At what speed is the plate on which Louisville is located,l moving (BE SURE TO INCLUDE
UNITS!)?
5.
In your own words, describe the motion of your plate over time.
6.
If the plate has moved at this rate since you were born, how far has the plate moved in your lifetime? (Use answer from #4 above for “V”)
Known: v= t=
Unknown:
Solve:
7.
At this rate, how long will it take for the plate to move 1 meter? (Use answer from #4 above for
“V”)
Known: v=
Unknown: d=
Solve:
8.
The Atlantic Ocean is 2,850 km wide. The continents on either side of the Atlantic are spreading at a rate of 10 cm/yr. Using this information, calculate how long ago the continents on each side were connected.
Known: d= 2,850 km (Convert to cm)= v=
Unknown: t
Solve:
You just used one method scientists have used to determine approximate dates for when
Pangea existed!
Part C: Additional internet information/videos. If you finish before your classmates, click on the following links. Below each link write a 1-2 sentence reflection about each site. Write something you learned or a question you would like to research.
Sea-Floor Spreading
Convection in Earth’s Asthenosphere
How do plate tectonics effect us?
(Earthquake)

How do plate tectonics affect us?
(Tsunami)
How do Plate Tectonics Affect us? (Volcano)