Constructive/Destructive Scenarios

In the Pacific Ocean, a hot spot slowly releases magma. Over time, this lava stacks and cools on top of each other to create a volcanic island. As the tectonic plate moves over the hot spot, the hot spot is able to produce more magma, which then will stack and cool to make another island. This process will repeat over and over again. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Constructive: The hot spot helps create a new island, which builds up the earth's crust

• Both: The hot spot creates a volcanic island, but that volcano will erupt and destroy everything around it

• Both: The hot spot creates a volcanic island, but destroys other islands in the process

• Destructive: The hot spot burns a hole through the plate above it, which destroys the crust.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Over long periods of time, one plate slips underneath another plate, which created a trench. As the one plates slips deeper into the mantle, it begins to melt. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Destructive: When seafloor spreading occurs, part of the ocean floor is destroyed.

• Constructive: When subduction occurs, new crust can be made.

• Both: Seafloor spreading occurs, where old crust is destroyed and new crust is created.

• Destructive: When subduction occurs, the bottom plate melts, which destroys the crust.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

In the Pacific Ocean, two oceanic plates transform. Energy is released from the plates, causing a massive underwater earthquake. This eventually causes a huge wave to form, which traveled to Japan. When the waves got to Japan, they destroyed everything they touched. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Destructive: The underwater earthquake caused the ocean crust to shift and change and the waves destroyed everything in their path

• Constructive: The underwater earthquake caused the ocean crust to shift and change and the waves destroyed everything in their path

• Destructive: The earthquake caused a tornado that destroyed the coast of Japan

• None of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A very flat area of farmland in Texas floods after large amounts of rain. The water pushes all of the small pieces of rocks together on the outside of the crops. As the water leaves the areas, the sediments begin to pack together, creating small hills around the crops. Does this describe weathering, erosion, or deposition?

• Weathering: The flood breaks down rocks and moves the sediments

• Erosion: The sediments are moved and added together to create small hills

• Deposition: The sediments are moved to the sides of the crops

• Deposition: The sediments are added together to create small hills

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

After a storm, a giant vortex of wind forms overhead. Eventually, the funnel of wind touches down on the ground. The funnel picks up things like man-made objects and rocks and throws them around, dropping them in new locations. The funnel digs a hole into the ground as it moves through the area as well. Eventually, the funnel dies down and the storm ends. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Destructive: The tornado causes weathering to occur when it digs a hole into the crust and erosion to occur when it moves rocks around

• Destructive: This describes a tsunami, which causes erosion to occur as it picks up rocks and sediments and moves it somewhere else

• Both: The tornado causes erosion by moving the sediments around, which is constructive, and weathering occurs as it breaks down the crust, which is destructive

• Constructive: A tornado causes deposition to occur when it picks up the man-made objects and rocks and moves them somewhere else

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Sedimentary rocks are commonly found by rivers. Near the Ohio River, a sedimentary rock was formed over many, many years as the river pushed sediments into one area. The water helped pack and cement the sediments together to create this new rock. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Constructive: The river caused all of the sediments to pack together to make a sedimentary rock, which is erosion

• Destructive: The river moved sediments around, which is erosion.

• Constructive: The river caused all of the sediments to pack together to make a sedimentary rock, which is deposition

• Both: The river moved sediments around, which is deposition, and the sediments to pack together, which is erosion

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

In Alaska, two continental plates meet each other at a transform boundary. At this plate boundary, plates strike and slip past one another. As this happens, energy is built up between the plates. Eventually, the energy is released in the form of seismic waves, which can sometimes crack the crust nearby. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Constructive: An earthquake causes the crust to move upwards and build up the earth

• Destructive: An earthquake occurs, so the crust to crack and shift, which destroys the crust

• Both: A tsunami causes the crust to shake, but nothing is created or destroyed

• Destructive: An earthquake and a tsunami will occur, which means that the crust will crack and shift, and the tsunami wave will cause erosion to occur

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Near a river, there is an area of flat land. Beyond the flat land, there are large hills. When it rains heavily, the flat area near the river floods and a creates a floodplain. When this happens, the water picks up sediments from the bottom of the river then moves them somewhere else. Over time, the sediments are then packed together and are added to other landmasses. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Constructive: The flood causes deposition and all of the sediments make the hills on the side of the flat land.

• Destructive: The flood causes weathering as it moves the sediments to a new location.

• Both: The flood causes erosion when it moves sediments around and deposition occurs when the sediments are added to the other landmasses

• Both: The flood causes deposition when it moves sediments around and erosion occurs when the sediments are added to the other landmasses

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Over long periods of time, a river beats against a rock that is located on the side of the river. Small pieces of rock chip off of the larger rock whenever the water hits against it. The river then takes those smaller pieces of rock and moves them. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Destructive: The water causes the rock to erode because it's breaking down, and the river causes weathering because it moves the smaller pieces of rock

• Constructive: The river moves the smaller pieces of rock to a new location, which is deposition.

• Both: The water causes weathering against the rock, but then the river causes deposition.

• Destructive: The water causes the rock to weather because it's breaking down, and the river causes erosion because it moves the smaller pieces of rock

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Two continental plates move towards one another and collide. Over long periods of time, the plates continue to push against one another. Does this scenario describe constructive forces, destructive forces, or both?

• Destructive: When two continental plates collide, a rift valley is made, which destroys part of the earth's crust.

• Constructive: When two continental plates collide, a volcano is formed, which can eventually erupt and make new land

• Both: When two continental plates collide, a volcanic mountain is made, which can erupt and destroy the area around it, but can also create new land

• Constructive: When two continental plates collide, a mountain is created, which builds up the earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2