Key Concepts
True or false?
The plates of Earth’s outer layer move.
True
Where have scientists discovered fossils of the ancient creature Mesosaurus?
South America and Africa
What happens at a divergent plate boundary?
Plates move apart and rock from the mantle is added to the edges.
True or false? Humans can see how much plates are moving with their eyes.
False
Earth’s plates move on top of a soft, solid layer of rock called the _________.
mantle
Earth's outermost solid shell (layer) that we live and walk on every day is called what?
crust
What happens at a convergent plate boundary?
One plate moves underneath the other plate and sinks into the mantle.
About how much do plates move in one year?
About 2 cm
DAILY DOUBLE
Earth’s outer layer is divided into sections called ______.
plates
What do matching fossils on different continents tell us about Earth's history?
Continents were once joined together.
When plates move apart at a divergent boundary, where does the rock that gets added to the edges of the plates come from?
The mantle located just below the plates.
How do scientists today measure the very slow and constant motion of Earth’s plates?
GPS tool/technology
Earth’s plates travel at a _____ too slow to be experienced by humans.
rate
What is Mesosaurus?
An ancient reptile that lived millions of years ago.
What forms at convergent boundaries?
trenches
True or false? Alfred Wegener was a scientist to argue that the continents were connected. His colleagues supported his theories and helped him write articles about Pangea.
False
Describe what happens at convergent plate boundaries. Be specific. I am looking for specific language about what happens to the plates.
At convergent plate boundaries, one plate moves underneath the other plate and sinks into the mantle.
Where do most earthquakes happen?
At boundaries where tectonic plates meet.
What forms at divergent plate boundaries?
mid-ocean ridge
What did Alfred Wegener discovered and propose as a theory?
He suggested that Earth's continents were once joined together in a single ancient supercontinent called Pangaea.