Investigating Plate Boundaries
Unit B: The Dynamic Earth
Learning Targets:
4b) I can compare and contrast (movement, location, landforms, specific examples) the
three major types of plate boundaries. (DOK 2)
4d) I can identify and explain the relationship between plate boundaries and the
distribution of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis on the Earth. (DOK 1-2)
Objective: Map the locations of events and structures associated with plate movements.
Materials:
World Map
Earthquake data
Colored Pencils
Volcano data
3 Ocean Floor Maps (class copies)
List of trenches and ridges
Part 1 – Investigating Plate Boundaries – Mapping the data.
Procedure: You may complete the map activities in any order.
Plotting Earthquakes – mark the location of earthquakes on your world map using a green dot.
Plotting Volcanoes - mark the location of volcanoes on your world map using a red dot.
Mapping ocean ridges and trenches – draw and label the ridges and trenches listed below on your world map.
Draw ridges in pink. Draw trenches in purple.
Mountains: Draw and label the mountain chains in brown.
Use the Map of the Atlantic Ocean to draw and label the following:
1. Atlantic Ocean
2. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
3. Iceland ( part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – color it yellow)
4. The Puerto Rico Trench
5. Andes Mountains (S. America)
Use the map of the Pacific Ocean to draw and label the following:
1. Pacific Ocean
2. East Pacific Rise (a ridge)
3. Peru-Chile Trench
4. Middle-America Trench
5. Aleutian Trench
6. Kuril Trench
7. Tonga Trench
8. Marianas Trench
9. Sierra –Nevada Mountains / Rocky Mountains (N. America)
10. Mt. Fuji (Japan)
1
Use the Map of the Indian Ocean to draw and label the following
1. Mid-Ocean Ridge
2. Ninety-East Ridge
3. Java Trench
4. Himalaya Mountains (India and Asia)
5. Mt. Kilimanjaro (east Africa)
Part 2 – Investigating Plate Boundaries – Analyzing the data.
Answer the following questions in your science notebook.
1. Are earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains found spread evenly across the Earth?
2. Where are earthquakes and volcanoes most concentrated?
3. Compare the location of trenches to the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains. What
pattern do you see?
4. Do earthquakes match up more with trenches or ridges? Why?
5. Do volcanoes match up more with trenches or ridges? Why?
6. Which ocean has more earthquakes the Pacific or the Atlantic?
7. Which ocean has more volcanoes the Pacific or the Atlantic?
8. Compare the distribution of earthquakes to the distribution of volcanoes – what patterns do you see?
(do they occur together, are they found near the oceans, are they found in long lines)
9. Why do you think mountains and volcanoes often occur together?
10. Why do you think that the border of the Pacific Ocean is often referred to as the “Ring of Fire”?
11. Where are the majority of earthquakes and volcanoes in relation to plate boundaries?
12. If the earth’s crust is destroyed at trenches and new crust is created along ridges, which ocean do you
predict is getting smaller and which ocean do you predict is getting larger?
Part 3 – Investigating Plate Boundaries – Predicting the plate boundaries.
The Earth’s crust is rigid and it is broken into large pieces called plates. The activities you have plotted on your
map are associated with the edges of the plates (places where two plates are interacting).
1.
2.
3.
4.
Get an overhead transparency sheet and place it on top of your map.
Next, using an overhead marker sketch where you think the outlines of the plates are located.
Show this sketch to your teacher and get checked off for your prediction.
Use a damp cloth to clean off your transparency sheet and return it.
Part 4 – Conclusion.
Based on all of the data you have collected on your map and the answers to your analysis questions, write a
paragraph addressing the prompt below:
Where are the safest and most dangerous places to live on Earth? Provide at least 2 pieces of evidence to
support your claim for each.
2
Plotting Earthquakes
3
DIRECTIONS: Mark the location of each of the earthquakes below on your world map using
a green dot. You may want to number the dots to keep track of them.
Earthquake Data Set 1
#
E1
E2
E3
E3 E4
E5
E6
E7
E8
E9
E10
E11
E12
E13
E14
E15
E16
E17
E18
E19
E20
E21
E22
E23
E24
E25
Date
Jan. 3, 1968
Jan. 3
Jan. 7
Jan. 10
Jan. 13
May 28
May 29
May 29
May 30
June 2
June 3
June 9
June 11
June 12
June 12
May 31
June 1
June 5
June 16
June 16
June 17
July 14
July 18
June 27
July 6
Latitude
51.8
17.1
33.5
13.8
31.2
56.2
62.3
3.1
15.8
41.2
36.0
39.0
41.5
24.9
13.8
36.1
24.7
36.1
36.9
38.0
37.4
20.9
8.9
8.2
58.7
N
N
N
N
S
N
N
N
S
N
N
N
S
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
S
N
S
S
Longitude
173.3 W
99.5 W
141.6 E
120.6 E
68.4 W
158.0 W
149.1 W
83.7 W
167.6 E
143.4 E
141.2 E
46.0 E
85.4 W
91.9 E
120.7 E
31.0 W
121.9 E
66.2 E
34.5 E
14.9 E
72.3 E
68.8 W
93.9 E
119.7 E
24.9 W
4
Plotting Earthquakes
DIRECTIONS: Mark the location of each of the earthquakes below on your world map using
a green dot. You may want to number the dots to keep track of them.
Earthquake Data Set 2
#
E26
E27
E28
E3 E29
E30
E31
E32
E33
E34
E35
E36
E37
E38
E39
E40
E41
E42
E43
E44
E45
E46
Date
July 18
July 26
June 29
June 29
July 6
Aug. 4
Aug. 4
Aug. 6
July 21
July 21
July 30
Aug. 12
Sept. 15
Sept. 19
Oct. 7
Oct. 8
Dec. 25
Dec. 30
Jan. 2, 1969
Jan. 6
Jan. 16
Latitude
9.6
22.4
20.6
19.9
1.3
40.8
53.0
26.7
16.9
24.9
66.4
52.6
17.9
49.4
3.2
39.9
26.7
55.2
45.0
44.1
27.6
N
S
S
S
S
S
S
N
S
N
N
S
S
N
S
S
S
S
S
N
N
Longitude
40.2 W
12.6 W
66.2 E
33.6 E
33.3 E
43.3 E
9.6 E
44.5 W
172.2 W
123.4 E
17.4 W
25.5 E
13.0 W
140.2 E
146.1 E
87.7 E
26.9 E
129.0 W
167.6 E
10.7 E
129.2 E
5
Plotting Volcanoes
DIRECTIONS: Mark the location of each of the volcanoes below on your world map using a
red dot. You may want to number the dots to keep track of them.
#
Volcano Name
V1
Reventador
V2
Volcano Data Set 1
Latitude
Longitude
0.1
S
77.7 W
Ubinas
16.2
S
70.8 W
V3
Maipo
34.1
S
69.9 W
V4
Mt. Burney
52.3
S
73.4 W
V5
Sao Jorge
38.6 N
28.0 W
V6
Katla
63.6
N
18.9 W
V7
Beerenberg
71.0
N
8.0 W
V8
Erta-Ale
13.6 N
V9
Nirangongo
V10
40.6
E
1.5
S
29.2
E
Karatala
11.9
S
43.3
E
V11
Mauna Loa
19.5 N
V12
Pagan Chyulu
18.1 N
V13
Hills
V14
V15
155.9 W
145.8
E
S
38.1
E
Saishuto Mt.
33.4 N
126.5
E
May on Makin
13.3 N
23.7
E
2.9
6
Plotting Volcanoes
DIRECTIONS: Mark the location of each of the volcanoes below on your world map using a
Volcano Data Set 2
#
Volcano Name
Latitude
Longitude
V16
Lokon
0.3 N
127.4
E
V17
Seroea
6.3
S
130.0
E
V18
Tambora
8.2
S
118.0
E
V19
Krakatau
6.1
S
105.4
E
V20
Barren
12.1 N
93.8
E
V21
Santorini
36.4
N
25.4
E
V22
Vesuvius
40.8 N
14.4
E
V23
Lanzarote
29.0 N
13.7
E
V24
Paramushir
50.3 N
155.3
E
V25
Katmai Mt.
58.3
N
155.0 W
V26
Rainier
46.9
N
121.8 W
V27
Lassen Tres
40.5 N
121.3 W
V28
Virgenes
27.5 N
112. 7 W
V29
Paricutin
19.5
N
102.1 W
V30
Poas
10.2
N
84.2 W
7
KEY:
BLUE Divergent Boundary
YELLOW Convergent Boundary
ORANGE Transform Boundary
BROWN Mountains
RED Volcanoes
GREEN Earthquakes
PURPLE Trenches
PINK Mid-ocean Ridges
BLACK Other Labels
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