Name:
Objective:
I can analyze the relationship between the
movement of lithospheric plates and the formation of
mountains, islands, and volcanoes.
Date:
Homeroom:
Handout #: 1.6
Objective: I can analyze the relationship between the movement of lithospheric plates
and the formation of mountains, islands, and volcanoes.
DO NOW
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow.
Transform Boundaries
When two tectonic plates slide past each other
horizontally, the boundary between them is a
transform boundary. They move in opposite
directions or in the same direction at different
rates. When one plate slips past another suddenly,
earthquakes occur. The San Andreas Fault in
California is a good example of a transform
boundary. This fault marks the place where the
Pacific and North American plates are sliding past
1. What is a transform boundary?
each other.
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
2. Earthquakes occur along which boundaries?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
3. How are transform boundaries different from convergent boundaries?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
SIMULATING TECTONIC PLATE MOTION
1. Log in to your Chromebook.
2. Open the Chrome browser.
3. Type in “sepup plate simulation” into the search bar at the top of the browser window.
4. Click the first link titled “SEPUP Plate Motion Simulation.”
5. Once you are on the site, put your computer in “pac-man” until Mr. Crowe says to begin.
6. You may run all the simulations even if they are not in the observation tables below.
7. Be specific about what forms or occurs in each time period. Use the legend to help figure it out.
8. Observations in the observation tables do not need complete sentences. Answer all questions in
complete sentences.
Convergent Boundary
1. Click on the right arrow 
2. Click “ See Plates Over Time”
3. Click “Pick Time”  “10 years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
4. Click “Reset Time”  “Pick Time”  “1 Million Years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
5. Click “Reset Time”  “Pick Time”  “20 Million Years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
CONTINENTALCONTINENTAL
Observations: What did you see happen? What formed?
CONVERGENT
2
10 Years
1 Million Years
20 Million Years
1. Which way do plates move at a convergent boundary?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
2. What occurs and forms at a convergent boundary? How long does it take?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
NEXT: CLICK “WHAT IF TWO OCEANIC PLATES COLLIDE?”
OCEANIC-OCEANIC
CONVERGENT
Observations: What did you see happen? What formed?
10 Years
1 Million Years
3
20 Million Years
3. What occurs and forms at an oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary? How long does it take?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
4. How are oceanic-oceanic convergent boundaries different from continental-continental convergent
boundaries in what forms there?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
5. What happens to the denser plate in this simulation? Why does that happen and what is it
called? You may need to use yesterday’s notes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
4
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
6. What is the area where one plate goes under the other plate called? You may need to use
yesterday’s notes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
Divergent Boundary
1. Click “Home” button to return to the plate selection screen. Click on the left arrow 
2. Click “ See Plates Over Time”
3. Click “Pick Time”  “10 years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
4. Click “Reset Time”  “Pick Time”  “1 Million Years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
5. Click “Reset Time”  “Pick Time”  “20 Million Years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
Divergent Boundary
Observations: What did you see happen?
10 Years
1 Million Years
20 Million Years
6. Which way do plates move at a divergent boundary?
5
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
7. What occurs and forms at a divergent boundary?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
8. Why do the underwater volcanoes eventually rise out of the water? What causes them to rise?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________
Transform Boundary
1. Click “Home” button to return to the plate selection screen and click on the up arrow
2. Click “ See Plates Over Time”
3. Click “Pick Time”  “10 years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
4. Click “Reset Time”  “Pick Time”  “1 Million Years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
5. Click “Reset Time”  “Pick Time”  “20 Million Years”  “Run”
Record your observations about what occurs in this time frame in the table below.
6
Transform Boundary
Observations: What did you see happen?
10 Years
1 Million Years
20 Million Years
9. Which way do plates move at a transform boundary?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
10. What forms or occurs at a transform boundary?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
11. Why does the river move?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
7
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
12. At what boundary does seafloor spreading occur?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
13. At what boundaries do earthquakes occur?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
14. What boundary leads to the formation of new lithospheric crust? How does that happen?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
8
15. What can you conclude about the speed at which tectonic plates move?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
16. What causes tectonic plates to move?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
17. Based on what you have observed, will you see mountains form in your lifetime? Why or why
not?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________
9
10