Chapter 6
TECTONIC PLATES
IMPORTANT UNIT VOCABULARY
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Subduction one
Tectonic Plate
Inner Core
Earthquake
Lithosphere
Divergent Boundary
Convergent Boundary
Transform Boundary
Pyroclastic Flow
Epicenter
Volcano
Lava
Pyroclastic Flow
Richter Scale
OBJECTIVE: STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO STUDY FOR
THE STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH QUIZ AFTER
COMPLETING QUIZ STUDY GUIDE
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Structure of the Earth Quiz – Study Guide
I. Label the diagram below:
STUDY GUIDE ANSWER KEY
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I. Describe the formation of the Earth: About 4.6 billion years ago Earth
formed when dust and debris from a supernova, came together, due to its
own gravity, through the process of accretion. The impacts of this process
and radioactive decay produced intense heat. This heat is still in the Earth
and much of the Earth is still a molten(liquid ) rock.
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II. Scientist Describe Inner and Outer Core: The Earth has a dense metallic
core made of Iron and Nickel that sunk towards the center of the Earth
because due to its density. The core is divided into an inner core and outer
core. The inner core is solid due to intense pressure. The outer core is liquid
and moves and flows. It is believed that the metals are charged (ionized)
and these moving charges create a magnetic field around the Earth.
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III. Describe the Mantle: The Earth’s thickest layer, it is made of hot rock
(Magma) It moves like a thick paste. Convection currents in the magma
create the motion of the Tectonic Plates.
KEY CONTINUED
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IV. Describe the Crust: The crust is a thin layer, 7km – 70km. (5mi.-40mi.) thick of solid rock.
This rock is mostly igneous rock. It is divided into two categories: Oceanic Crust and Continental
Crust
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V. Create a T-Chart illustrating the differences between Continental Crust and Oceanic Crust
(include 2 differences)
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Oceanic Crust
Thinner
Denser
| Continental Crust
| Thicker
| Less Dense
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VI. Describe the Lithosphere and the Asthenosphere: Scientists further classify parts of the
interior of the Earth based on the physical state of the rock.
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The Lithosphere is the SOLID portions of the upper mantle and the crust. Litho- means “stone”
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The Asthenosphere is the hotter, softer layer of rock of the mantle that the tectonic plate plates
rest and move upon. Asthenes- which means “weak” rock. Its physical state is like hot
tar.
STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH
ALFRED WEGENER
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Objective: Students will be able to describe the
three pieces of evidence that Alfred Wegener used
to support his theory of “Continental Drift”
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Fossil Evidence
 Fossils
of Mesosaurus in both Western Africa and Easter
South America
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Climate Evidence
 Evidence
of Tropical Plants on Greenland
 Glacial Scrap marks in South Africa
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Geological
 Same
types of sedimentary rock in Scotland and North
America
PLATE BOUNDARIES
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Students will be able to identify one (real world) location
on Earth that is an example of each type of boundary.
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Divergent Boundary
Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge
 Great Rift Valley in Africa
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Convergent Boundaries
Mt. Everest – Himalayan Mts. – Indian Plate pushing into the
Eurasian Plate
 Subduction Zone – Pacific Plate pushing under the South American
plate – creating a deep ocean trench, coastal mountains, and
volcanoes
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Transform Boundary
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San Andreas Fault in California – the pacific plate moving southward
and the North American Plate moving northward.
EARTHS MAGNETIC FIELD & MAGNETIC
REVERSAL
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Objective: Students will be able to describe the Earth’s Magnetic field and
how it was used to prove the theory of plate tectonics.
SEAFLOOR SPREADING AND MAGNETIC
REVERSAL
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By studying rock samples taken from the Ocean floor on either side of the mid-Atlantic ridge,
scientists were able to prove that rocks further from the ridge were older, and that the magnetic
characteristics of the rocks match rocks on the other side.
DIVERGENT, CONVERGENT, AND TRANSFORM
BOUNDARIES
EARTHQUAKES & THE INTERIOR STRUCTURE OF
THE EARTH
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Objective: Students will be able to describe how
scientists use earthquake Surface, primary (p)
and secondary (s) waves to learn about the
interior of the Earth.
TYPES OF CONVERGENT BOUNDARIES
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Objective – Students will be able to identify the
landforms that are created during continentalcontinental boundaries, oceanic-oceanic boundaries,
and oceanic-continental convergent boundaries.
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Continental-continental –
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Oceanic-oceanic –
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Mountains - Mt. Everest
Deep ocean trenches – Mariana Trench and the island of Guam
Oceanic-continental –
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Subduction Zone, Coastal Mountains, volcanoes, and deep ocean
trenches – Andes Mountains and Volcanoes of Chile – and the
South American Coast.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY WAVE DIAGRAM
HOW SCIENTIST USE SURFACE ,P & S WAVES TO
DETERMINE THE STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH (
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Earthquakes produce three types of seismic
waves. Each type moves through materials
differently. In addition, the waves can reflect, or
bounce, off boundaries between different
layers, due to the different densities of these
layers. The waves can also bend as they pass
from one layer to another. Scientists have
learned about the interior Earth layers by
studying the paths and speeds of these waves.
PARTS OF A VOLCANO
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Objective: Students will be able to label the
parts of a Volcano.
1. Crater
2. Lava
3. Cone
4. Magma Chamber
5. Vent
6. Dust, ash, & rock fragments