Plate Tectonics
– Notes & Focus Questions
Directions: Read pages 233 – 244 in the Earth
Science textbook. If you read these pages well, you won’t have to take
many notes and I won’t have to type many, either. Study the map on
page 35 in the Environmental Science textbook (it is much better than
the one on page 233 in the Earth Science text.)
The Earth’s surface is made up of 7 large and 13 small “plates,” 100
km thick sections of the lithosphere that move slowly over the surface
of the Earth, in a process called “continental drift.” In some places
the boundaries of these plates are converging, or crashing into each
other. In others they are diverging, or moving away from each other.
In still others, they are sliding past each other. Almost all mountain
ranges, earthquake activity, and volcanoes are located along these
boundaries. We live on the North American Plate. Alfred Wegener came
up with at least seven pieces of evidence supporting his theory of
continental drift, a theory we accept as law today.
Do these Focus Questions on the bottom and back of this page. Clearly
label each number and lettered sub-parts. Don’t skip any portions, if
you want full credit:
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Page |
Questions |
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235 |
1.(a), 2.(b), 3.(a) |
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239 |
4.(b), 5.(b & c) |
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244 |
8.(a & c), 9.(b), 10.(b), 11.(a-e) |
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