Name:____________________________________________________Date:_____________Pd
Study Guide: Layers of the Earth, Continental Drift, and Plate Tectonics (S6E5a., S6E5e., S6E5f., and S6E5g.)
1.List and describe
(composition) the
layers of the Earth
starting from the
outermost layer.
Draw a diagram
(Crust, Lithosphere,
Asthenosphere,
Mesosphere, Outer
Core, and Inner
Core)
2. What is the inner
core’s material?
3. What happens to
the temperature,
density, and
pressure when you
descend from the
crust to the inner
core?
4. List the layers
from the least dense
to most dense.
5. What is the
Continental Drift
Theory and who
proposed the
theory?
1.crust (oceanic (more dense/thinner) and continental (thicker)),
2.mantle (most of Earth’s Mass) (lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere),
3.outer core
4. inner core
1. Crust
2. Lithosphere (Tectonic Plates)- Crust and rigid upper mantle- Rock
3. Asthenosphere (Convection Currents-caused by heat from the core- Rock
4. Mesosphere (Lower Mantle- Rock
5.Outer Core (Liquid Metal- iron and nickel- Metal
6. Inner Core (Solid Metal-iron and nickel- Metal
Solid Iron and nickel/hottest, the most dense layer, under to most pressure
They all increase
Crust, mantle, outer core and inner core
Crust, Lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core, and inner core
Theory that was proposed by Alfred Wegener that stated that the continents
were in one large landmass called Pangaea and drifted apart overtime
6. Describe 5 key
pieces of evidence
that Wegener
discovered to
support his theory
of Continental Drift.
Why was Wegener
theory rejected by
other scientist?
7. What was the
name of the
supercontinent
proposed by
Wegener? What
does the name
mean?
8. Describe the
process of sea-floor
spreading. Where
does the sea floor
spread?
--mesosaurus fossil found on different continents- continents were once closer together (too
small to swim in the ocean)
--tropical plant fossils found in artic regions
--coastlines of the continents fit together like puzzle pieces
--mountain ranges on different continents lineup
--coal found in artic regions
--glacial grooves found in rocks match up (warm climates )
9. What is the midocean ridge? What
type of plate
boundary
movement exists at
the mid-ocean
ridge? What type of
crust forms at the
mid-ocean ridge?
Longest chain of underwater
volcanic mountains in the world found in the earth’s oceans
-Mid-Ocean Ridge forms at divergent plate boundary movement
-new oceanic crust forms at the Mid-Ocean Ridge (New sea floor or ocean basin)
10. Describe the
process of
subduction. What is
a deep ocean trench
(diagram)?
when two plates(oceanic-oceanic or continental-oceanic) collide
(converge) together the most dense (oceanic plate) plate is
subducted (sinks) back into the Asthenosphere melts and becomes magma
**The theory was rejected because Wegener could NOT explain how the continents moved*
Pangaea- “all Lands” or “all Earth”
Sea-floor spreading happens at the Mid-Ocean Ridge
Process where new oceanic curst forms, when magma is
Heated in the asthenosphere, it becomes less dense and rises out through the
mid-ocean ridge creating new oceanic crust.
 Magma rises when it is heated( it becomes less dense)
Under water canyon (trench) can form at subduction zones
11. Why does
Oceanic Crust
subduct beneath
Continental Crust?
The oceanic crust is more dense
12. What is the plate
tectonic theory?
What are tectonic
plates?
The theory that states Earth’s lithosphere is
divided into tectonic plates that float or move
on top of the asthenosphere- (convection currents in the
asthenosphere cause this to occur)
tectonic plate-pieces of the lithosphere
13. What is the
driving force that
moves the
tectonic/lithospheric
plates? Where does
this occur?
Convection currents in the Earth’s
Asthenosphere is the driving force that
moves the tectonic plates
Convention-heat rises from the core and creates a
Difference in density in the material in the
asthenosphere which causes the material to circulate
14. Describe
Convection
Currents.
A circulation pattern in which material is heated and rises in one area, then
cools and sinks in another area, flowing in a continuous loop
-occurs in the asthenosphere
-diving force of the movement of the tectonic plates (lithosphere)
15. Describe how
the plates moves at
each of the
following
boundaries:
convergent,
divergent, and
transform
Convergent Boundary- Plates push together/collide (move toward each other)
Divergent Boundary- Plates pull apart (move away from each other)
Transform Boundary- Plates slide by each other
16. Describe what
occurs at
continental-oceanic
convergent
boundary?
--the more dense oceanic crust will
sink (subduct) beneath the continental crust
Landforms: volcanic mountains, deep ocean trenches
Geological events: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes (Subduction Zones)
17. What are
volcanic mountains,
how do they form,
and where do they
form?
--rock that is melted in subduction zones form magma,
which rises to the Earth’s surface and erupts to form
volcanic mountains.
Volcanic mountains can also form under sea.
These mountains form at an oceanic-continental convergent boundary.
18. Describe what
occurs at a
continentalcontinental
convergent
boundary?
--both plates will collide, buckle and thicken
Landforms: folded mountains
Geological events: earthquakes
19. What are folded
mountains, how do
they form, and
where do they
form?
--formed when rock layers (continental crust) are squeezed together (compression) and pushed
upward and form mountains.
--they form at a continental-continental convergent boundary
20. What landforms
could be created at
convergent
boundary?
Continental -Continental convergent- folded mountains
Continental- Oceanic Convergent- volcanoes (volcanic Mountains) and trenches (Subduction
Zones)
Oceanic-Oceanic Convergent- Ocean trenches, Volcanic Islands (Subduction Zones)
21. Describe what
occurs at an
oceanic-oceanic
convergent
boundary?
--the more dense oceanic crust will sink (subduct) beneath the other plate-deep
Ocean trenches can form.
What happens to the oceanic crust that gets subducted?
It gets melted in the
Asthenosphere- What force pulls the plate down into the asthenosphere? Gravity
22. What is a fault?
Along what type of
plate boundary do
most faults form?
What types of
geological events
occur along faults?
A fault is a break in the Earth’s Crust (San Andreas)
Most faults occurs along transform boundaries
Earthquakes occur along fault lines
23. Where does most
Along the boundaries of tectonic plates
tectonic activity
(earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, mountains,
volcanic eruptions)
occur?
24 . What is the Ring
of Fire?
Volcanism is mostly focused at plate margins
25. What are Hot
Spots?
Hot mantle plumes breaching the surface in the middle of a tectonic plate