Earth’s Interior Web quest Name ___________________________________________________________________________ Date _____ Introduction A Web Quest is an internet based activity that will provide you with information that will be useful in class. When completing this Web Quest you will visit many Web sites that will enhance your knowledge in the areas of the earth's interior (layers), heat transfer, continental drift and plate tectonics. Task This Web Quest is divided into sections. When you come to a link (always in orange), click it. The link will bring you to an outside Web site that will provide you with information on the above topics. After reading the entire Web page answer the questions that follow Part 1: Earth's Interior Earth is many thousand kilometers in depth. If you could travel deep into the earth's surface you would find that it contains three main layers; the crust, mantle and core. To learn more about the layers of Earth, click the following links and answer the questions that follow. Go to The Earth's Interior Link How is Earth's interior like an apple? ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ The lithosphere is divided into 2 parts (or crust). o What are they called? __________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ o What is the thickness of each part? _______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ o What are these parts primarily made of? __________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Click on the Earth’s Layers link. After reading each slide click the "next" button and proceed to read the next slide. When you have examined all of the slides, complete the questions on the "questions" slide. These questions are also below. Name the five layers of the earth in order from the outside to the center of the earth. ____________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ What causes the mantle to "flow"? ______________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ What are the two main metals that make up the outer and inner core? _________________________________ Describe in your own words how the earth's layers were formed. (Slide 2 will help you.) ___________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Part 2: Convection Currents and the Mantle Heat transfer is the movement of heat from a warmer object to a cooler object. There are three ways in which heat can be transferred; conduction, convection and/or radiation. Click on the links below and answer the questions that follow. Click on the Convection, Conduction and Radiation Link & Heat Transfer Link How is heat transferred by conduction? _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Explain the process of convection. ______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ How is heat transferred by radiation? ___________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ If air is a fluid, why isn't convection responsible for transferring heat to Earth from the sun? _______________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Test your knowledge! Scroll back to the top of the Heat Transfer Web page and take the "Mini Quiz". Explain how your did! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ As you already know, the earth's mantle contains two layers; the asthenosphere (tough liquid part of the outer mantle) and the lithosphere (the stiffer outer mantle and the crust). Because of the intense pressure and temperature in the mantle convection currents occur. To learn about what influence these convection currents have on Earth, read the Web page below and answer the questions that follow. The Mantle Link Describe how convection currents occur in Earth's mantle. __________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ What is a constructive force caused by the convection currents in the earth's mantle? ____________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ What is a destructive force caused by the convection currents in the earth's mantle? _____________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Part 3: Drifting Continents The theory of continental drift originated from a German scientist named Alfred Wegener who proposed that there was once a super continent called Pangaea ("all lands"). Wegener proposed that over time the continents drifted apart. Read through the following link to learn about Wegener's theory of continental drift. Continental Drift Link What 5 factors did Wegener use to support his theory? _____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ List three of the arguments of geologists that disproved Wegener's theory. _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Arthur Holmes came up with his own theory of drifting continents in 1928. What was his theory? ___________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Part 4: Sea-Floor Spreading The movement of plates caused by convection currents causes both constructive and destructive forces beneath the ocean floor. To learn more about this topic click on the link below and answer the questions that follow. Sea-Floor Spreading Link What two Earth changing events can occur when the plates underneath the ocean spread?_______________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What is an ocean ridge? _____________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Why are two plates spreading considered to be 'constructive'? ______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What is subduction? ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge? How many miles does it stretch? ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Part 5: The Theory of Plate Tectonics The theory of plate tectonics was formulated in the 1960s and 1970s when new information was discovered about the inside of Earth. To learn more, click on the links below, read the Web page and answer the questions that follow. Plate Tectonics Link What is the theory of plate tectonics? __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What new information led to the theory of plate tectonics? ________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ About how fast do the plates move in relation to each other each year? _______________________________ What is it called when two plates meet? ________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Convergent Boundaries Link What are convergent boundaries? _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ What occurs when a continental and an oceanic plate collide? _______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ When an oceanic plate digs into Earth's hot interior, what occurs? ____________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ How were the Andes Mountains in South America formed? __________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Divergent Boundaries Link What are divergent boundaries? ________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Explain how volcanoes form in the central valley of a divergent boundary? ______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ How much does the Atlantic ocean widen per year due to divergent boundaries? _________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Transform Boundaries Link What are transform boundaries? ________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ What could happen to a stream bed that is split by a transform boundary? ____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Name one of Earth's most famous transform boundaries? Where is it located? _____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ True or False? o Due to transforming plates, Los Angeles will break away from California. Explain your answer. ________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Conclusion Great job! You have put a lot of hard work into answering the questions above. Now that you have all of this new knowledge, it is time to demonstrate it. Complete the project explained by Mr. C!