Plate Motion

At divergent plate boundaries ...

• Ocean water fills the gap as the plates move away from each other

• A gaping hole forms where we can look into the center of the Earth as the plates move away from each other

• The plates move together and one sinks under the other, forming a trench

• Soft, solid rock from the mantle rises as the plates move away from each other. Then it hardens, adding hard, solid rock to the edges of both plates

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

How are earthquakes and plate motion related?

• Plate motion causes earthquakes

• Earthquakes cause plate motion

• Earthquakes have nothing to do with plate motion

• Earthquake occur in the middle of the plates

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What happens to a plate that sinks underneath another plate?

• continuously sinks into magma until the plate is gone

• the plate comes back up in another area

• nothing happens

• it melts and becomes part of the mantle

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

True or False. A mid-ocean ridge is something formed underwater when two plates move apart.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Most geologists think that the movement of Earth’s plates is caused by _______ / La mayoría de los geólogos piensan que el movimiento de las placas de la Tierra es causado por _______

• convection / convección.

• continental drift / deriva continental.

• subduction / subducción.

• conduction / conducción.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Fossil remains of Lystrosaurus (an extinct four-legged animal) have been discovered in India and South Africa. When they were living, all the Lystrosaurus lived together on land, and they could not swim. However, now there is an ocean between the Lystrosaurus fossils. What could explain how these fossils got so far apart?

• India and South Africa are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved far apart as soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates over millions of years.

• India and South Africa are parts of different plates. The plates floated away from each other across the ocean.

• India and South Africa are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved apart as new plates from underneath got added between them over millions of years.

• India and South Africa are parts of different plates. The plates were sometimes pushed far apart by earthquakes, and soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Can people living on the North American and Eurasian plates feel them moving apart? Why or why not?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What happens when two plates are moving toward each other? / ¿Qué sucede cuando dos placas se mueven una hacia la otra?

• The plates hit each other and break into pieces making sand. / Las placas se golpean entre sí y se rompen en pedazos formando arena.

• The plates push against each other, making the edges bend upward. / Las placas se empujan unas contra otras, haciendo que los bordes se doblen hacia arriba.

• One plate goes underneath the other plate into the soft rock below. / Una placa va debajo de la otra placa en la roca blanda de abajo.

• One plate goes underneath the other plate into the ocean below. / Un plato va debajo del otro plato en el océano de abajo.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

The plates of the Earth moved

• suddenly

• gradually

How do geologists use GPS to study plate motion?

• Geologists use GPS on their cell phones to track plate motion

• Geologists use permanent GPS units installed in solid rock to track plate motion

• Geologists put GPS units on trucks parked in different places to track plate motion

• Geologists don't use GPS to track plate motion

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3