5/1/07
Plate Tectonics Essential Knowledge and
Skills
This provides a list of Essential Knowledge and Skills that the student must master in
order to be successful taking the Virginia SOL Test that will be administered at the end of
the course.
The student should check off each line item as their knowledge level is achieved. If at ANY
TIME the student is having difficulty understanding the material, it should be brought to
my attention immediately so that the difficulty can be overcome.
Virginia Standard: ES.8 a, b, c
The student will investigate and understand geologic processes including plate
tectonics.
Key Concepts:
a. how geologic processes are evidenced in the physiographic provinces of Virginia
including the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and
Appalachian Plateau.
b. processes (faulting, folding, and volcanism) and their resulting features.
c. tectonic processes (subduction, rifting and seafloor spreading, and continental
collision).
Essential Knowledge/Skills
This section has been taken directly from the SOL Framework and contains
information and skills that teachers are required to teach and students must
master to be successful on the state SOL tests.
Knowledge: ES.8
a. The five physiographic provinces are Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley
and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau.
b. The Coastal Plain is a flat area underlain by young, unconsolidated sediments.
These layers of sediment were produced by erosion of the Appalachian Mountains
and then deposited on the Coastal Plain.
c. The Piedmont is an area of rolling hills underlain by mostly ancient igneous and
metamorphic rocks. The igneous rocks are the roots of volcanoes formed during an
ancient episode of subduction that occurred before the formation of the
Appalachian Mountains.
d. The Blue Ridge is a high ridge separating the Piedmont from the Valley and Ridge
Province. The billion-year old igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Blue Ridge are
the oldest in the state. Some metamorphism of these rocks occurred during the
formation of the Appalachian Mountains.
e. The Valley and Ridge province is an area with long parallel ridges and valleys
underlain by ancient folded and faulted sedimentary rocks. The folding and faulting
of the sedimentary rocks occurred during a collision between Africa and North
America. The collision, which occurred in the late Paleozoic era, produced the
Appalachian Mountains.
f. The Appalachian Plateau as an area with rugged, irregular topography and
underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks. The area is actually a series of
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plateaus separated by faults. Most of Virginia’s coal resources are found in the
Plateau Province.
Earth consists of a solid, mostly iron inner core; a liquid, mostly iron outer core; a
rocky, plastic mantle; and a rocky, brittle crust.
Relative plate motions and plate boundaries are convergent (subduction and
continental collision), divergent (sea-floor spreading), or transform.
Earthquake activity is associated with all plate boundaries.
Major features of convergent boundaries include collision zones (folded and thrustfaulted mountains) and subduction zones (volcanoes and trenches).
Major features of divergent boundaries include mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys, and
fissure volcanoes.
Major features of transform boundaries include strike-slip faults.
A fault is a break or crack in Earth’s crust along which movement has occurred.
Most active faults are located at or near plate boundaries. Earthquakes result when
movement occurs along a fault.
When rocks are compressed horizontally, their layers may be deformed into wavelike forms called folds. This commonly occurs during continental collisions.
A volcano is an opening where magma is erupted onto Earth’s surface. Most
volcanic activity is associated with subduction, rifting or sea-floor spreading.
Skills
a. Label a map and recognize the major features of the physiographic provinces of
Virginia.
Essential Understandings
This section has been taken from the SOL Framework. It is important that
teachers and students have a complete understanding of all of the concepts
listed.
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Virginia has a billion-year long tectonic and geologic history.
Virginia has five physiographic provinces produced by past tectonic and geologic
activity.
Each province has unique physical characteristics resulting from its geologic past.
Geologic processes produce characteristic structures and features.
The core, mantle, and crust of Earth are dynamic systems, constantly in motion.
Earth’s lithosphere is divided into plates that are in motion with respect to one
another.
Most geologic activity (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building) occurs
as a result of relative motion along plate boundaries.
Plate motion occurs as a consequence of convection in the mantle. Plate tectonics is
driven by convection in Earth’s mantle.
There are two different types of crust (oceanic and continental) that have very
different characteristics.
Vocabulary
Appalachian Plateau – Virginia province which lies to the northwest of the Valley and
Ridge; source of coal (Virginia’s most valuable mineral resource)
Blue Ridge – mountains of folded and faulted igneous rock formed when Africa and
North America collided
Coastal Plain – the youngest province in Virginia; the land from the fall line eastward
to the Atlantic Ocean; a landform that is broad, flat area along a coastline; also
called a lowland
collision boundary (zone) – a converging boundary that is formed when two
lithospheric plates collide; when two continental plates collide they are welded into a
single, larger continent; when an oceanic and continental plates collide a trench with
volcanic mountains form; when two oceanic plates collide a trench with an island
arc forms
convection – transfer of heat energy in a fluid (gas or liquid)
converging or convergent boundary – a boundary that forms when two lithospheric
plates come together, or converge (collide)
crust – thin, outermost layer of the Earth
divergent boundary – also called a spreading center; where two adjacent plates are
moving away from each other
earthquakes – vibrations caused by the sudden movement of Earth’s crust
fault – a break or crack in Earth's crust along which movement has occurred
fault-block mountains – mountains formed from blocks of crust that have been faulted
and tilted at the same time
fold – bend in rock with an anticline (up-fold) and syncline (down-fold)
inner core – solid, innermost center of the Earth
lithosphere – outer solid shell of Earth that extends to a depth of about 100 kilometers
mantle – layer of the Earth that extends from the bottom of the crust to the outer core
metamorphism – the process that changes rock by great heat, pressure, and/or chemical
action
mid-ocean ridge – undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a
constructive (divergent) plate boundary
outer core – layer of the Earth surrounding the inner core; liquid iron and nickel
Paleozoic era – from 600 to 200 million years ago; the era before the dinosaurs
Piedmont – the largest physiographic province in Virginia; bounded on the east by the
fall zone and on the west by the mountains of the Blue Ridge
plate tectonics – theory of the formation and movement of the rigid pieces, or plates,
that cover Earth's surface explains movements of continents and changes in Earth’s
crust caused by internal forces
rift eruptions – volcanic eruptions that occur at long, narrow fractures in Earth's crust
rift valley – a trough formed by faulting along a zone in which plates move apart and
new crust is created, such as along the crest of a ridge system
rift zone – a system of cracks in Earth’s crust through which molten material rises
sea floor spreading – the production of new ocean crust along a mid-ocean ridge/rift
system that moves older seafloor away from the ridge enlarging the ocean basin and
separating continents
strike-slip fault –A break in rocks where rocks on either side of the fault move past each
other (instead of above or below each other)
subduction – process in which crust plunges back into Earth’s interior
subduction boundary – converging boundary where one plate is plunging beneath
another, overriding plate
subduction boundary eruption – the result of magma that forms at subduction
boundaries when the plunging plate melts at depths of 600 – 700 km
thrust-fault – a type of fault where one piece of land is pushed up and over a
neighboring piece of land
transform fault – a fault that runs across a mid-ocean ridge with the rocks on either
side moving past each other in a horizontal direction
trench – the deepest feature of the ocean floor; formed at subduction zones
Valley & Ridge – long parallel ridges and valleys to the west of the Blue Ridge
mountains which are part of the major landform feature of North America; the
Great Valley which stretches from New York to Alabama, a region of Karst
topography
volcano – an opening in Earth's crust through which an eruption takes place
Additional Related Vocabulary
The following terms are related to this unit and may be taught to help develop
a better understanding of the topic.
abyssal plain – a flat stretch of the deep ocean around the margins of the continents
active continental margin – continental margin that occurs along a plate boundary,
marked by earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building
anticline – upward fold in rock
asthenosphere – the partially melted layer of the mantle that underlies the lithosphere
basalt – a dark colored extrusive igneous rock composed chiefly of calcium plagioclase
and pyroxene
batholith – name for the largest of all igneous intrusions; form the cores of many
mountain ranges
caldera – large crater formed when the sides of a volcanic cone collapse
cinder cone – volcano made mostly of cinders and other rock particles that have been
blown into the air
composite cone – volcano built of alternating layers of rock particles and lava
continental crust – relatively thick, old, and less dense felsic rock
continental drift – a hypothesis that suggests the continents have been in different
positions through geologic time
continental shelf – a zone of shallow water fringing most continents
continental slope – the zone of steeply sloped sea floor leading from the continent shelf
toward the ocean bottom
crater – funnel-shaped pit or depression at the top of a volcanic cone
craton – the ancient core of a continent, usually the oldest and most altered rocks of the
continent
dike – an igneous intrusion that cuts across rock layers, and is formed when magma
intrudes into vertical or nearly vertical fissures in bedrock
diverging or divergent boundary – the spreading center where two lithospheric plates
are moving apart and new lithosphere is formed
dome mountain – a raised area shaped roughly like the top half of a sphere, often
formed by magma pushing upward on the rock layers above it
elastic-rebound theory – the theory that earthquakes occur when the stress building up
between two lithospheric plates overcomes the force of friction, causing the plates to
suddenly move, release energy, and then snap back to their former shapes
epicenter – point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
extrusive – igneous rock formed from lava that cools on the Earth’s surface
felsic – light-colored, high silica rock generally associated with continental rock
focus – a point within Earth at which an earthquake originates
hot spot – volcanic activity near the center of a lithospheric plate
intrusive – igneous rock formed from magma that cools beneath the Earth’s surface
joint – a crack or break in bedrock along which no movement has occurred
L wave – an earthquake wave that travels along Earth's surface
laccolith – a mushroom-shaped mass of intruded igneous rock
lava – molten rock that reaches Earth's surface
mafic – dark colored, low silica rock generally associated with the ocean basin
magma – molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface
magma chamber – an area within the earth where heat builds up or pressure is lowered
forming magma
Modified Mercalli Scale - rates earthquake intensity in terms of its effects on people and
property
Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho) – the boundary between Earth's crust and mantle
mountain – natural landform that reaches high elevations, with a narrow summit, or
top, and steep slopes, or sides
normal fault – fault in which the hanging wall moves down relative to the foot wall
ocean crust – relatively thin, young, and dense mafic rock
P wave – primary (first) earthquake wave, compressional wave that can travel through
any material
Pangaea – single giant landmass that existed more than 200 million years ago and that
gave rise to the present-day continents
passive continental margin – stable continental margin where the major activity is the
build up of sediments
pluton – an igneous intrusion
Richter scale – a numeric description of an earthquake's magnitude
reverse fault – fault in which the hanging wall moves up relative to the foot wall
S wave – secondary (second fastest) earthquake waves, shear wave that can travel
through solids, but not liquid or gas
seamount – an underwater volcano
seismic moment – a more accurate measurement of earthquake magnitude than the
Richter scale
seismogram – the recording of an earthquake made by a seismograph; it records the
time the earthquake takes place along with the type and strength of the earthquake
waves
seismograph - an instrument that detects and records earthquake (seismic) waves
shadow zone – a wide area around Earth on the side opposite the focus of an
earthquake where neither P nor S waves are received, located in a belt 102° to 143°
from the earthquake
shield volcano – gently sloping volcano formed when runny lava flows over a large area
sill – a sheet of intrusive igneous rock forced between rock layers parallel to the rock
layers it intrudes
stock – a large igneous intrusion, similar to a batholith, but with an exposed surface
area of less than 100 square kilometers
syncline – downward fold in rock
terrane (exotic terrane) – a large block of lithosphere that has been moved, often
thousands of kilometers, and attached to the edge of a continent
thin-skinned thrusting – the pushing of thin horizontal sheets of rock from continental
margins over great distances along nearly level fault surfaces
time-travel graph – a graph that shows the relationship between P and S wave travel
times and the epicenter distance
trench – v-shaped valley on the ocean floor where old ocean floor is subducted; a
destructive (convergent) plate boundary
volcanic neck – the solidified lava filling the central vent of an extinct volcano