1. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
Unit 5: Dynamic Earth

Packet 6: Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes &
Volcanoes
“I feel the Earth
move under my
feet” p.s. I’m Geno
Honors Earth Science
Ms. Gill
Note Packet #6
Name:_______________________ Per:____ Date:______
________
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2. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
Vocabulary:
Asthenosphere
contact Metamorphism
Continental crust
Convergent
Crust
Density
Divergent
Down-warping
Dynamic Equilibrium
Earthquake epicenters
Earthquake magnitude
Earthquakes
Equilibrium
Faulting
Folding
Heat engines
Heat flow
Hot spots
Hydrosphere
Inner core
Island arcs
Lithospheric plates
Magma
Magnetic patterns
Mantle
Mid-ocean ridge
Oceanic crust
Outer core
Plate
Plate tectonics
Radioactive materials
Rate
Refraction
Residual heat
Rock cycle
seismic Waves
Static Equilibrium
Subduction zone
Tectonic forces
Transform
Trenches
Tsunamis
Velocity
Volcanoes
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3. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
I. Earth’s Interior:
Four Layers (see page 10 of Ref Tables)
-__________________: solid, dense, 6,000º C,
Iron and Nickel
-__________________: Liquid, dense,
3,700º-5,500ºC (increases with depth), Iron and
Nickel
-__________________: Solid, minerals rich in Fe,
Si, Ma, 1,500º - 3,200º C
-__________________: upper layer, rigid, lighter
rock, <1,000ºC
QuickTimeª and a
Some terms to know:
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
- _______________________: Upper layer of
the mantle, may act in a semi-fluid (plastic) manner
- _________________: (Mohorovicic
Discontinuity): The boundary between the mantle
and the crust
- _______________________: Consists of the
crust and the rigid upper mantle
Where is the crust thickest?
______________________________
Where is the crust thinnest?
_______________________________
Why is the core so hot?
-Still retains heat from original formation.
-Radioactive materials releasing energy as they
decay.
-Increased pressure from above
What happens to rock density, going from the crust
to the core? ______________________
What happens to temperature, going from the crust
to the core? ______________________
What happens to pressure, going from the crust to
the core? ________________________
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4. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
II. The Theory of Plate Tectonics:
The Earth’s lithosphere is made of a number of solid pieces , called ____________ which move in
relation to each other. These plates are “riding” on a more “plastic molten” layer below. This layer is
called the _____________________________.
Theory of Continental Drift:
A. Proposed by ___________ ____________ in 1915. It stated that the Earth’s continents separated and
collided as they have moved over the surface of the Earth for millions of years.
B. Wegener’s evidence for his theory:
1. When you line up _____________________ and ________________________ they appear to fit like
a puzzle.
2. ___________ species have been
found on widely separated parts of the Earth.
3. ___________________ and _______________________ have a good match of
ancient continental rocks and tectonic ____________ and ___________ structures.
4. Some mountain chains appear to be continuous from ___________________ to __________________
Ex. _____________________________ and ______________________________
5. Evidence of _________________ climates
Ex. _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
6. Rocks of the ocean basins are _________________________ then continental rocks.
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5. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
A. The _____________________, ___________________ (basaltic) igneous rocks of the crust near the
ocean ridges are covered with a thin layer of _________________.
Due to seafloor spreading the Earth’s crust is very _________________ near the ridges. The oldest
parts of the ocean crust are found far from the _______________ ridges and near the
____________________.
Lithospheric plates _________________ in size and are made up of a combination of
_______________________ crust and _____________________________ crust.
B. The two major Pieces of evidence are for seafloor spreading are:
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
When rock hardened it kept the alignment forming a permanent record of the
______________________ ______________________ of the Earth at that time.
Rocks found farther from the ridges have a __________________ magnetic polarity.
Parallel stripes of ___________________ on either side of these ridges preserve
the record of many _____________________ of the Earth’s magnetic field.
II. Ocean Floor Spreading:
Further evidence of horizontal movement of Earth’s crust.
C. The ocean floor has a system of submerged mountain ranges called
_________________________________________________
Material from deep within the Earth comes to the surface at the
________________ where is spreads apart to make
__________ _____________ ______________
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6. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
Three kinds of plate motion occur at plate boundaries:
1.____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ______________________
There are three types of convergent boundaries:
1b. When two ocean plates converge
1a. When ocean collides with continent the the ____________,
____________________ ocean plate dives _______________ ocean plate will
_______________________
down under or ____________ into the mantle forming a forming an ___________________
________________ ________ ____________.
1c. When two continental plates converge the edges of _____________ are
crumpled up forming __________________ _____________________.
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7. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
2. At _______________ plate boundaries, the plates move __________ and ___________
flows up forming parallel ridges made of ______ ______________ _____________
3. At transform plate boundaries, the plates move
________________ each other causing shallow
________________ ______________________.
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8. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
I. Mantle Convection Cells:
The evidence shows that approximately _______ million years ago, the major continents
were_______________, and since that time they have been _________________.
A convection cell is a stream of heated material that is moving because of ___________
_________________. These convection cells exist in the part of the mantle called the
_______________________.
The two sources of this heat are:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
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9. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
Hot Spots:
Places on the Earth’s surface where plumes of ________________ are rising up from the
mantle not located along ________________ ______________ ________________.
As a plate passes over a hot spot, a __________ ___ ___________ _______________
Forms. The only mountain that _______________ ______________ is the mountain
located directly over the __________ _____________.
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10. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
II. LOCAL EVIDENCE OF CRUSTAL MOTIONS:
A. ________________________ & _________________________wears down the Earth’s
crust. III. EARTHQUAKES:
_________________________ cause earthquakes:
A. Two processes that ____________________________ creates new mountains.
II. EARTHQUAKES:
B. SedimentaryThe movement of _________________________ inside ___________________________.
1. beds are deposited as _________________________ _______________ or
A. Two processes that cause earthquakes:
2. _______________________ is the movement of rock along a surface where the rocks are
1. The movement of _________________________ inside ___________________________.
broken.
_______________________________
2. _______________________ movement of the of rock along a surface where the rocks are broken.
B. ___________________ is the movement crust over long periods of time builds
_______________
C. Evidence___________________ movement is indicated by: (label the diagrams) builds _______________
B. of motions within the Earth’spressure causes the over long periods of time
crust of the crust
within the rocks. Increased ___________________
______________________
within the rocks. Increased pressure causes the ___________________ ______________________
1. ______________________
to break creating a _________________________. When faulting occurs energy radiates through
to break creating a _________________________. When faulting occurs energy radiates through the
the
Earth as __________________ ________________ that cause the the ground to
Earth as __________________ ________________ that cause ground to ________________.
2. _____________________
________________.
The distribution of earthquakes is primarily along _________________________________________
There are three types of faults:
(label the diagrams below)
3. _____________________
D. _______________________________________ provide direct evidence of crustal
movement. ____________________ _________________ and ________________
__________________are two changes that can be observed after an earthquake.
E. ______________________ ____________________ are used in mapping surveys and
indicate exact positions and elevations. Changes in ______________________ of benchmarks are
evidence that the land is either _________________________ or _______________________.
_____________________________
F. Displaced fossils found in mountains have 2 interpretations:
1. ________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
G. _________________________________ is the RISING OF THE CRUST
_________________________________is the SINKING OF THE CRUST
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____________________________________ _________________________________

11. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
What Controls the Level of Shaking?
______________________________ : More energy released
_______________________________: Shaking decays with distance
_______________________________: Amplify the shaking
List the effect of earthquakes and give a brief description:
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________
7.
Will California eventually fall into the ocean??? _______
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12. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
III. MEASURING THE EARTHQUAKES:
A. There are 2 scales to measure earthquakes
PARTS OF THE EARTHQUAKE:
1. ________________________________ 2. ____________________________________
The _________________________________ occurs is the upon the observations of people and the
B. place underground where the break or fault scale is based
damage caused. It measures the ____________________ of the earthquake from ______ to ______
_____________ of the quake
C. The _________________________ is the location along determine the _____________________
_________________________ uses the seismograph to the
Magnitude is the total _______________________ released is felt most strongly
surface of the earth just above the focus where the quake by the earthquake.
It’s numerical scale is _________ to _________. Each numeric step represents a _______ increase.
The two most important energy waves are:
____________________________________________
QuickTimeª and a QuickTimeª and a
decompressor decompressor
____________________________________________
are needed to see this picture. are needed to see this picture.
QuickTimeª and a
QuickTimeª and a
decompressor
QuickTimeª and a are needed to see this picture.
decompressor decompressor
are needed to see this picture. needed to see this picture.
are
Characteristics of P-waves (primary)
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Characteristics of S-waves (secondary)
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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Both S and P waves travel FASTER through ____________________ material.

13. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
V. FINDING THE EPICENTER:
A. The seismograph records the _____________________________ and
_____________________________________________________________________________
(Use the chart on page 11 of your reference table)
Find the
best fit
on the curve
and read the
B. The steps for calculating your distance from the epicenter: distance
Mark off the difference in below
arrival time of S and P waves on a piece of paper
1. __________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________________
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4. __________________________________________________________________________

14. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
Practice Questions:
1. The arrival of the P-wave is 12:03:00 The arrival of an S-wave is 12:07:00
The difference is _____________________
How far is this earthquake from this seismic station? ____________________
2. The arrival time of the P-wave is 2:05:00 The arrival time of the S-wave is 2:08:00
The difference is: _____________________
How far is this earthquake from the seismic station? _______________________
3. If the difference in arrival time between P and S waves is 2min. 35 sec. What is the distance
VIII. THE LAYERS OF THE EARTH:
A. The crusts thickness to the seismograph station? _________________________
from the earthquake ______________________.
4. How__________________P-wave the oceans
It is long does it take for a under to travel from the focus of an earthquake to a seismograph station
2,000 km. away? _______________________________
and ____________________ under the continents.
How long will the S-wave take to travel to this same station? ______________________
Continental crust is mostly ____________, __________ density & _________________________
5. What is basins are mostly ______________ and and S waves for an earthquake that is
The ocean the difference in arrival time between P ________________ or __________________
5,000 kilometers away from the seismograph station? ______________________________
B. Inferred characteristics of the Earth’s Interior:
VII. THE ORIGIN TIME OF AN EARTHQUAKE:
1. Studying the ____________________________ of
A. An earthquake wave detected at __________________________ times by observers at
_____________________ _________________
allows us to make inferences about the structure
____________________ distances from the epicenter.
and composition of the Earth’s interior.
B. To find the origin time seismologists need to know:
2. The _______________________ of a seismic wave changes with the ________________ of
1. _____________________________________________________________________
the material it travels through. Waves are also ___________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________
as they travel through materials with different densities.
Example:
We know that P-waves can be transmitted through ___________ __________ & ___________
A seismograph recording station located 5,700 kilometers from an epicenter.
It receives a P-wave at 2:45 P.M. At what time did the earthquake actually occur at the
S-Waves can be transmitted through ONLY ________________
epicenter? Travel time: ______________ Origin time___________________
3. Earth Quake Shadow Zones:
When an earthquake occurs both ____________ are received from most of the earth.
Opposite sides of the earth where the epicenter is, receives ____ but NO _______ because
S-waves cannot penetrate the ________________ outer core.
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______________________ (bending) occurs at the __________________ ( boundaries)

15. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
Draw a diagram of the earth’s interior and label and describe each layer or part:
A- Inner Core:
B- Outer Core:
C- Moho:
D- Mantle:
E- Crust:
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16. Unit 5: Dynamic Earth Earth Science- Ms. Gill Note Packet #6
A Volcano is both the opening in the Earth’s crust through which molten rock flows, and
IX. Volcanoes
the landform that develops around it.
A ______________________ is both the opening in the Earth’s crust through which molten rock flows,
and the landform that develops around it.
Where volcanoes form:
1. At ____________________________________: Subducted plate material melts to form new magma
Hot magma is less dense than surrounding rock, so it rises. Magma reaches the surface to form volcanoes
2. At _______________________________________________: Magma forms at mid-ocean ridges.
Iceland formed as the result of volcanoes along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
3. At ___________________________: Caused by plumes of hot material from deep within the mantle.
Hawaiian Islands were formed in this way.As plate moves over hot spot, new islands form.
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