Chapter 10 Plate Tectonics Section 3 Continental Drift

Continental Collision

2 continental plates collide, push the crust up, and form mountains.

plate

A large section of earth's oceanic or continental crust and rigid upper mantle that move around on the asthenosphere.

plate tectonics

A theory that combines continental drift and sea floor spreading. The NEW theory states that Earth's crust and upper mantle are broken into plates that float and move around on a plastic like layer of mantle

Explain why convection currents are related to plate tectonics

Convection currents are related to plate tectonics because they both have the cycle of heating, rising, cooling, and sinking.

Which type of plate boundary is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge part of?

Divergent

Earth is a

Dynamic planet. As the plates move, they interact, resulting in many of the features of Earth's surfaces.

What happens when seismic energy is released as rocks in earth's crust break and move?

Earthquakes

Thinking critically: What natural disasters might occur in Iceland. Also determine what disasters might occur in Tibet. Explain why some Icelandic disasters are not expected to occur in Tibet.

In Iceland, volcanoes may form and possibly erupt, because they have divergent (pull apart) boundries. Where as in Tibet, earthquakes are likely to happen, because they have convergent (colliding) boundries.

Why do many earthquakes but few volcanic eruptions occur in the Himalaya?

Many earthquakes happen in the Himalayas because the plates collide, pushing upward to make or increase the heights of mountains. However, neither plate goes down, so no magma is made.

Which plate is subducting beneath the South American Plate?

Nazca

Explain why volcanoes do not form along the San Andreas Fault.

No volcanoes form against the San Andreas fault because it has a transform boundaries, which cause earthquakes since the plates slide past each other or move at different speed.

What are the general ways plates interact?

Plates can collide, pull apart, or move past one another.

What is the SLRS

Satellite Laser Ranging System, which is used to measure and collect data on the movement of the continents from space.

Predict: Plate tectonic activity causes many events that can be dangerous to humans. One of these events is a seismic sea wave , or tsunami. Explain how scientists predict the arrival of a tsunami in a coastal area.

Seismologist monitor where a tsunami happens and how strong the seismic waves are by using a seismograph, to determine how strong the underwater earthquake is and how much time there is before the tsunami hits land

Describe what occurs at plate boundaries that are associated with seafloor spreading

The thing that occurs at plate boundaries that is associated with sea floor spreading is when the seafloor separates or moves apart, it makes a rift.

Describe three types of plate boundaries where volcanic eruptions can occur

There are 3 types of plate boundaries where volcanic eruptions can occur. 1) Divergent (moving apart) 2) ocean - continent convergent (ocean plate sinks under the continental plate), and 3) ocean to ocean convergent ( plates collide, older plate sinks).

rift valley

continental plates pull apart, form a rift valley.

convection current

current in the earth's mantle that transfers heat in earth's interior and is the driving force for plate tectonics

Which layer of Earth contains the asthenosphere?

mantle

Seafloor Spreading

mid - ocean ridge forms where oceanic plates separate, magma rises, cools, and forms new oceanic crust.

Subduction

oceanic and continental plates collide, oceanic plate sinks below the continental plate (creates volcanoes)

asthenosphere

plasticlike layer of Earth on which the lithosphere plates float and move around

lithosphere

rigid layer of Earth about 100 km thick, made of the crust and a part of the upper mantle

What type of plate boundary is the San Andreas Fault part of?

transform

transform boundary

two plates slide past each other or move at different speed

convergent boundary

two plates that collide and one sinks under the other

divergent boundary

two plates that move away from each other