Plate Tectonics And Effects Of Plate Movement

Question 0

What is the super-continent called?

Answer 0

Pangaea

Question 1

What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?

Answer 1

All of the earth’s continents were once joined together as a super-continent

Question 2

What helps support the continental drift?

Answer 2

1. Seafloor spreading
   - seafloor is constantly breaking apart
   - lava comes up
   - extrusive rock hardens expanding the plates
2. “Puzzle Piece” argument
3. Fossil records
   - organisms only existing in regions that used to touch
   Ex. East coast of South America & West Coast of Africa

Question 3

What do shifting plates cause?

Answer 3

1. Earthquakes
2. Volcanos
3. Mountain building

Question 4

What are the three types of plate movements?

Answer 4

1. Convergent 
Ex. common in mountains
- plates push together causing plates to go under other plates
   * reason we see various heights of mountain ranges
2. Divergent
- go apart
Ex. Atlantic sea floor
3. Transform
- plates sliding past one another

Question 5

Where is the “Ring of Fire” located?

Answer 5

In the Pacific Ocean

• • Pacific Plate
• causes a lot of earthquakes in the western US and eastern Asia

Question 6

Explain the difference of soft ground vs. Hard ground in earthquakes

Answer 6

In hard ground frequency travels easier causing it to fizzle out quicker

In soft ground frequency travels slower

• causing it to hang around longer with a higher amplitude
• causing more damage