Tectonic Plates

Question 1

What is a tectonic plate?

Answer 1

The earth’s crust is made up of large rocky plates. These plates lay on top of partially molten layer of rock. Due to convection currents, the plates move 5cm a year. This movement causes hazards like earthquakes and volcanoes.

Question 2

What is plate boundary?

Answer 2

A plate boundary is where two tectonic plates meet, they might be moving together, moving apart or moving past each other.

Question 3

Examples of plate boundaries and movement

Answer 3

Moving together = Nazca and South American
Moving apart = north American and Eurasion
Moving past each other = African and Eurasion

Question 4

What happens under tectonic plates

Answer 4

Convection currents move in circular motions in the mantle which causes the plates to move either together or apart

Question 5

Plate tectonics

Answer 5

Heat from the center of the earth sets up the convection currents in the mantle.
Hot material rises as it is less dense
When currents reach the surface, they cause the plates to move above

Question 6

Where are the tectonic plates?

Question 7

Different type of plate boundaries

Answer 7

Divergent = Occurs when plates move apart
Convergent = occurs when plates collide
Transform = Occurs when they slide past each other