Plate Boundaries
What is happening to continental plates at plate boundaries?
They are making the continents move
OR
The plates are moving against each other
What happens at a volcano?
Pressure builds in the mantle, causing magma to come out of the mantle
What happens during an earthquake?
The ground vibrates due to friction building up between plates
Who originally created the idea of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
What is Pangaea?
A supercontinent that existed 300 million years ago
OR
A supercontinent that had all the continents joined together.
At what type of boundary are plates being pushed apart?
Divergent
What is the difference between lava and magma?
Magma is located in the mantle. Lava is magma outside the mantle.
What is the Richter Scale?
A scale that measures the strength of earthquakes.
What is the central idea of continental drift?
The Earth is divided into plates that slowly move to new positions.
How do landforms like mountains help prove that Pangaea existed?
They cross continents and help them "match up"
What is happening between two plates that produces mountains?
The two plates is raising the land between them
Hawaii was created by what kind of volcano?
A shield volcano
At what plate boundaries do earthquakes most often occur?
Transform boundaries
What is happening in the mantle that causes tectonic plates to move?
Convection Currents
What are fossils?
Ancient organisms preserved in rock
What causes plates to move?
What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
A line of volcanoes under the Atlantic Ocean creating new crust
OR
A line of volcanoes under the Atlantic Ocean pushing the plates apart.
What word is used to describe the activity of earthquakes?
Seismic Activity
What is the name of the small plate under the Pacific Ocean that is pushing against South America?
The Nazca plate
How do fossils help prove that Pangaea existed?
They are found on different continents that used to be joined.
Please explain the difference between collision and convergent boundaries.
Hint: What does density have to do with it?
At collision boundaries two plates with equal density push against each other.
AND
At convection boundaries a plate with lesser density is being pushed under a higher density plate
What is the Ring of Fire?
A line of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean
What is the San Andreas Fault? Where is it?
A fault in California where many earthquakes happen
OR
A fault in California where a lot of seismic activity happens.
What was the first piece of evidence that scientists used to prove continental drift?
The continents match up like a puzzle.
What continents was North America connected to in Pangaea?
Eurasia, Africa, and South America.