Activity—World Map of Plate Boundaries

e-binder for 2013 CEETEP workshop

“Where’s Waldo”-style geography.

Mapping World Plates helps students connect

topography, earthquakes, volcanoes, and plates.

Includes many maps for printing, and student worksheets.

Color copies are in the folder:

4. ACTIVITIES_Earth & Tectonics > World Plate Boundaries

VIDEOS: In the folder 3. VIDEOS_Earth & Tectonics >

LECTURE_Egg Vs Earth_Butler.mov,

LECTURE_TectonicPlates_Butler.mov,

LECTURE_Asthenosphere_Butler.mov,

and

LECTURE_BoundaryTypes_Butler.mov

Or online: http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/videos

ANIMATIONS: Select animations are in the RESOURCES folder for this activity.

3. Animations_Earth & Tectonics > Plate Interaction_Converge Diverge Transform

Or online: http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/animations

INTERNET: This Dynamic Planet, interactive tectonic map http://www.minerals.si.edu/tdpmap/

Resources on this DVD & Internet for World Map of Plate Boundaries

Science Standards

Systems•

Cycles in Earth Science•

Evidence of Change•

Science, Technology & Society•

Predictability & Feedback•

Evolution of the Earth•

SYMBOLS

White arrows show plate motion direction

Volcanoes (generalized)

Hot spot (arrow = direction of plate motion)

Great earthquakes since 1900;

before 1900

Divergent margin

Convergent margin

Transform fault (arrows

show relative motion)

PLATE BOUNDARIES

Most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanoes are

found at or near the boundary between two tectonic

plates. Friction between the plates keeps them from

sliding. When the frictional strain is overcome, the

ground suddenly snaps along faults and fractures

releasing energy as earthquakes. Volcanoes occur at

divergent margins (where magma rises and erupts);

at convergent margins (where an oceanic plate

dives beneath another plate; magma forms in the

continental plate above the diving oceanic plate),

and less commonly as hot spots (where magma

melts through a plate, such as Hawai`i).

Introduction

The Plate Tectonics Mapping Activity allows students to

easily begin to identify basic tectonic processes on a global

scale. As students become aware of plate movements,

they begin to identify patterns that set the stage for deeper

understanding of a very complex topic. The activity uses

a simple “Where’s Waldo” approach to identify tectonic

symbols on a laminated World Plate Tectonic map.

Objectives

Learn where volcanoes and earthquakes occur

Understand geography

Use critical thinking to nd plate boundaries

Answer relevant discussion questions on worksheet

Procedure

Print the appropriate maps (see Materials) for use. Note

that the maps in this document need to printed on legal-size

paper!!

Students work in pairs or small groups of 3 or 4 students

using washable markers to circle tectonic features. This

hands-on activity captures the interest of all ability levels.

The process of exploring the map and drawing with colored

markers captures student interest and creates curiosity to

discover why particular features are located where they are.

As students work through simple questions on the activity

sheet, they are then able to start the more challenging

process of understanding the patterns and process that make

up the fundamental principles of Plate Tectonics.

The Discussion Questions in the activity are provided

as a resource for teachers to engage student’s growing

understanding. The questions have been used in small

groups, whole class discussion, research, as a writing

assignment, and for evaluation.

Materials

Discussion Questions —On page 7.

Student work sheets—Begin on page 5 of this

document; answers follow.

Word les of the worksheets are in the folder

RESOURCES For World Plate Boundaries

> Word Docs for World Plate Boundaries

Maps—The map on the next page is offered in several

formats for classroom use. Since not everyone

has access to a large-format printer we offer the

poster as a 3-page, tabloid-size pdf le that can

be printed and taped together. The maps are also

offered WITHOUT tectonic boundaries to be

used to see if students recognize features in the

landscape.

1) Page size (next page) and on DVD in the folder:

RESOURCES For World Plate Boundaries

Maps for printing

> WorldTectonicMap_PageSize.pdf.

2) Poster (14x24) requires a plotter to print

WorldTectonicMap_POSTER 14x24.pdf

3) Poster (tabloid-size pages to be taped together)

WorldTectonicMap-Poster_3page11x17.pdf

4) WITHOUT tectonic features to be used to see if

tectonic features show up in the landscape:

WorldTectonicMap_NoBoundaries8.5x14.pdf.

WorldTectonicMap_NoBoundaries11x17.pdf.

World Map of Plate Boundaries

e-binder for 2013 CEETEP workshop

SYMBOLS

White arrows show plate motion direction

Volcanoes (generalized)

Hot spot (arrow = direction of plate motion)

Great earthquakes since 1900;

before 1900

Divergent margin

Convergent margin

Transform fault (arrows

show relative motion)

PLATE BOUNDARIES

Most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanoes are

found at or near the boundary between two tectonic

plates. Friction between the plates keeps them from

sliding. When the frictional strain is overcome, the

ground suddenly snaps along faults and fractures

releasing energy as earthquakes. Volcanoes occur at

divergent margins (where magma rises and erupts);

at convergent margins (where an oceanic plate

dives beneath another plate; magma forms in the

continental plate above the diving oceanic plate),

and less commonly as hot spots (where magma

melts through a plate, such as Hawai`i).

Mountains & valleys

Spreading center—Fast

Spreading center—Slow

Divergent boundaries occur mostly

along spreading centers where the

magma rises forming new crust.

(Ex. East Paciﬁc Rise, Mid Atlantic

Ridge.)

Spreading zones (no graphic) on

continents create parallel mountains

and valleys as the crust pulls apart

(

ex: Basin & Range, U.S. and the

Great Rift Valley, Africa. )

Divergent Boundaries & Spreading Zones

ithosphere

Asthenosphere

Oceanic crust

Mantle

Partial melt

Asthenosphere

Crust

Mantle

ithosphere

Partial melt

Convergent Boundaries

Mountain

Range

Old oceanic crust

Continental crust

High

Plateau

Continental crust

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere

Trench

Oceanic crust

Continental

crust

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere

Island

arc

Oceanic

crust

When two plates move toward each other, crust is destroyed as one plate dives (is subducted) beneath

the other. The location where sinking of a plate occurs is called a subduction zone.

Ocean-Ocean—Ocean plate dives

beneath another ocean plate;

volcanic island chain forms above

the zone (ex:. The Marianas)

Ocean-Continent: Ocean plate dives

beneath a continental plate. Volcanic

mountain chain forms inland.

(ex:. Cascade Range, Sumatra, Japan)

Continent-Continent: Two thick

continental plates collide and buckle

into high mountains.

(ex: Himalaya Mountain Range.)

Trench

Continental

crust

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere

Volcanic

arc

Oceanic crust

Transform Boundaries

As surrounding plates

are driven by deep forces

to move apart or crunch

together, the in-between

areas are pushed around

on the surface. This forces

them to slide past each

other horizontally.

Transform faults are where two

plates are moving away from

a spreading ridge and fracture

zones develop (ex: ocean ﬂoor)

Asthenosphere

Crust

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere

Crust

Transform fault

Lithosphere

Spreading

ridge

Partial melt

Spreading

ridge

Strike slip faults result from

two plates moving horizontally

in opposite directions

(ex: San Andreas Fault, California).

e-binder for 2013 CEETEP workshop

Name__________________________

Period__________ Date___________

PLATE TECTONICS MAPPING ACTIVITY

1. Draw the symbol for each tectonic feature in the chart below

Divergent margins and spreading centers (draw in black)

Convergent margins - subduction zone (draw in blue)

Transform faults – strike-slip faults (draw in green)

Hot Spot (draw in red)

2. Use the correct color of washable marker to locate each tectonic feature on the map.

a. Circle the name of the Divergent boundary systems

in black. (Ridges and Rises) Number found _______

b. Circle the Convergent margins in blue.

(students may circle individual trenches) Number found _______

c. Circle the Transform fault symbols (and their

faults) in green. Number found _______

d. Circle the Hot Spots in red. Number found _______

3. What is the name of the small crustal plate off the Oregon coast that is subducting

under the North American plate? _______________________

4. Where are most of the earthquakes and volcanoes located?

Check one: a. crustal plate margins _____ b. interior of a crustal plate _____

Answer the following questions about Plate Tectonic Processes using the diagrams with the map.

5. Divergent margins and continental spreading centers:

a. New crust forms at plate margins as ___________ rises creating ridges under

oceans such as the _____________________ and the ____________________.

b. Continental spreading centers include the

__________________ in the US and the _______________________ in Africa.

6. Convergent margins – subduction zones:

Identify the land form (geomorphology) created at each type of Convergent Boundary

and provide an example.

Ocean-Ocean _____________________________________________________a.

Ocean-Continent __________________________________________________b.

Continent-Continent ________________________________________________c.

7. Transform faults – strike slip faults

a. Sometimes tectonic plates shift past each other horizontally ________________

directions at their boundary.

b. One example of a strike slip fault near San Francisco is the _________________.

8. Earthquakes:

Most earthquakes occur near plate _____________.a.

_____________ keeps the plate edges from sliding smoothly past each other.b.

The longer the plates remain stuck, the more strain builds and the more violent c.

the snap and resulting _____________.

9. Volcanoes:

a. Magma rises to the surface from inside the earth mainly at __________________

and _______________________.

Around the rim of the Paciﬁc Ocean, the 40,000 km long ________ of ________ b.

is especially active.

10. Hot Spots:

In a few places _________ melts through a tectonic plate.a.

Each hot spot likely marks the top of a plume of _____________ rock that risesb.

from deep in the earth.

e-binder for 2013 CEETEP workshop

b. Continental spreading centers include the

__________________ in the US and the _______________________ in Africa.

6. Convergent margins – subduction zones:

Identify the land form (geomorphology) created at each type of Convergent Boundary

and provide an example.

Ocean-Ocean _____________________________________________________a.

Ocean-Continent __________________________________________________b.

Continent-Continent ________________________________________________c.

7. Transform faults – strike slip faults

a. Sometimes tectonic plates shift past each other horizontally ________________

directions at their boundary.

b. One example of a strike slip fault near San Francisco is the _________________.

8. Earthquakes:

Most earthquakes occur near plate _____________.a.

_____________ keeps the plate edges from sliding smoothly past each other.b.

The longer the plates remain stuck, the more strain builds and the more violent c.

the snap and resulting _____________.

9. Volcanoes:

a. Magma rises to the surface from inside the earth mainly at __________________

and _______________________.

Around the rim of the Paciﬁc Ocean, the 40,000 km long ________ of ________ b.

is especially active.

10. Hot Spots:

In a few places _________ melts through a tectonic plate.a.

Each hot spot likely marks the top of a plume of _____________ rock that risesb.

from deep in the earth.

Discussion Questions: (italics are guiding ideas on a few random questions.)

Discussion questions can be used in a whole group setting, or selected questions may be assigned to table groups

to answer and then shared with the class.

1. Does the location of earthquakes and volcanoes show a pattern? If so, what tectonic process may be responsible?

(compression, extension, shearing)

2. Generally speaking, where are the oceanic ridges located with respect to the landmasses?

(in the middle of the ocean:

heavy thin crust sinks and water ﬁlls low areas.)

3. Where do you ﬁnd the mountain ranges with respect to the oceanic ridges? Use examples. (the ocean-ﬂoor ranges are

on the crest of the spreading ridges where heat provides the buoyant lift; they sink as they cool.)

4. Are there any places on Earth where the mid-oceanic ridges meet the continent?

5. What are seamounts?

6. Most of the Paciﬁc Ocean is on what plate?

7. What is the compass orientation of the Hawaiian Islands and many of the other smaller ridges within the Paciﬁc

Ocean? Is this signiﬁcant? (the islands are moving away from the hotspot in the direction the plate is traveling. Thus the line

of the youngest islands is oriented west-northwest as they move towards Japan)

8. In what compass direction is the Paciﬁc Plate moving? (see previous question)

9. Name the biggest and longest mountain range in the world. What is it? (Trick question. It is a mid-ocean ridge.)

10. Name an island chain that has been formed by a “hot spot”. (see question 7 above. The Hawaiian Islands.)

11.What island in the North Atlantic Ocean is splitting apart? What is causing the split? (Iceland is a hotspot that is

straddling the Mid-Atlantic spreading ridge. The spreading ridge is causing the split. If it were just a hotspot it would just build a

big ediﬁce.)

12. Where is magma rising to the surface and forming ocean crust? (At spreading ridges)

Where is the oceanic crust sinking back into the mantle? (At subduction zones)

13. Some people have referred to the process in the above question as a cycle. Why would it be considered a cycle?

(Rock is formed at the spreading ridge; gets destroyed at subduction zones. The subducted rock eventually gets absorbed into the

mantle and gets caught in the very slow circulation of rock in the mantle which can melt as it rises to the top again.)

14. What are the attributes of a cycle?

Can you describe another cycle that could compare with the example described above.

15. Why is it that the Paciﬁc Ocean ﬂoor is no older than about 200 million years and yet the continents are much

older? (The ocean ﬂoor is being created constantly. It is made of heavy rock that tends to subduct when it meets continental

rock. The continents are made of older rock that is more buoyant .

16. The continental margins of the East and West Coast of the United States are very different. Describe the

differences. Are there tectonic differences?

17. Where would you expect to ﬁnd igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks?

PLATE TECTONICS MAPPING ACTIVITY

1. Draw the symbol for each tectonic feature in the chart below

Divergent margins and spreading centers (draw in black)

Convergent margins - subduction zone (draw in blue)

Transform faults – strike-slip faults (draw in green)

Hot Spot (draw in red)

2. Use the correct color of washable marker to locate each tectonic feature on the map.

a. Circle the name of the Divergent boundary systems

in black. (Ridges and Rises) Number found __7_____

b. Circle the Convergent margins in blue.

(students may circle individual trenches) Number found __16 +__

c. Circle the Transform fault symbols (and their

faults) in green. Number found __10____

d. Circle the Hot Spots in red. Number found __5____

3. What is the name of the small crustal plate off the Oregon coast that is subducting

under the North American plate? __Juan de Fuca_________

4. Where are most of the earthquakes and volcanoes located?

Check one: a. crustal plate margins __X__ b. interior of a crustal plate _____

Answer the following questions about Plate Tectonic Processes using the diagrams with the map.

5. Divergent margins and continental spreading centers:

a. New crust forms at plate margins as _magma___ rises creating ridges under

oceans such as the _Mid-Atlantic Ridge__ and the __East Paciﬁc Rise__.

Teacher Answer Key

e-binder for 2013 CEETEP workshop

Teacher Answer Key

b. Continental spreading centers include the

_Basin and Range__ in the US and the _East African Rift System in Africa.

6. Convergent margins – subduction zones:

Identify the land form (geomorphology) created at each type of Convergent Boundary

and provide an example.

Ocean-Ocean _____a. Volcanic Island Chain (Mariana trench)________

Ocean-Continent ___b. Volcanic Mountain Ranges (Cascade Mountain Range)__

Continent-Continent _c. Folded Mountain Ranges_( Himalaya Mountain Range) __

7. Transform faults – strike slip faults

a. Sometimes tectonic plates shift past each other horizontally _in opposite_____

directions at their boundary.

b. One example of a strike slip fault near San Francisco is the _San Andreas Fault_.

8. Earthquakes:

Most earthquakes occur near plate _a. boundaries__.

__b. Friction___ keeps the plate edges from sliding smoothly past each other.

The longer the plates remain stuck, the more strain builds and the more violent c.

the snap and resulting _ground movement__.

9. Volcanoes:

a. Magma rises to the surface from inside the earth mainly at _spreading centers_.

and __hot spots______.

Around the rim of the Paciﬁc Ocean, the 40,000 km long _b. Ring__ of _Fire__

is especially active.

10. Hot Spots:

In a few places _a. magma___ melts through a tectonic plate.

Each hot spot likely marks the top of a plume of __b. molten_____ rock that rises

from deep in the earth.

Answer sheet for

Student Questions

page one.

Teacher Answer Key