Geography Lesson 4: Plate Boundaries

Questions and Answers

Before Continental Drift, the supercontinent was called ______.

Pangaea

The ______ Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the continents today.

Pacific

The continents are separated by various oceans, including the ______ Ocean.

Atlantic

The extinct ______ Ocean was located between the continents before they drifted.

Tethys Signup and view all the answers

The current configuration of continents includes ______, Antarctica, and Africa.

Australia Signup and view all the answers

Iceland lies on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, a divergent plate boundary where the ______ Plate and the Eurasian Plate are moving away from each other.

North American Signup and view all the answers

As the plates pull apart, molten rock or ______ rises up and erupts as lava creating new ocean crust.

magma Signup and view all the answers

The Mid Atlantic Ridge runs through the middle of ______.

Iceland Signup and view all the answers

The North American Plate is on one side of the ridge, and the ______ Plate is on the other side.

Eurasian Signup and view all the answers

Important locations in Iceland include ______ and Thingvellir.

Reykjavik Signup and view all the answers

The ______ Ridge is an underwater mountain range located in the Atlantic Ocean.

Mid-Atlantic Signup and view all the answers

The ______ Rise is a linear submarine volcanic chain in the south-eastern Pacific Ocean.

East Pacific Signup and view all the answers

On the left side of the image, a diver is exploring a narrow underwater ______.

canyon Signup and view all the answers

The walls of the canyon are made up of layered ______.

rock Signup and view all the answers

On the right side of the image, a ______ vehicle is shown above the seabed.

submersible Signup and view all the answers

At a divergent boundary, the motion is called ______.

spreading Signup and view all the answers

The effect of a convergent boundary is known as ______.

destructive Signup and view all the answers

Transform boundaries involve ______ of the lithosphere.

lateral sliding Signup and view all the answers

The topography at a divergent boundary is characterized by a ______.

ridge/rift Signup and view all the answers

Volcanic activity is generally present at ______ boundaries.

divergent Signup and view all the answers

Subduction is a geologic process in which one edge of one lithospheric plate is forced below the edge of another, with the ______ plate sinking beneath the other.

denser Signup and view all the answers

In subduction, the ______ plate is forced below the continental plate.

oceanic Signup and view all the answers

The oceanic plate is ______ than the continental plate.

denser Signup and view all the answers

The continental plate remains on top because it is ______ dense.

less Signup and view all the answers

An arrow in the diagram shows the ______ of the oceanic plate.

direction Signup and view all the answers

Examples of ______ include mountains, volcanoes, and canyons.

geological features Signup and view all the answers

______ like earthquakes and tsunamis can have significant impacts on the earth.

Geological events Signup and view all the answers

The process of ______ contributes to the formation of mountain ranges.

subduction Signup and view all the answers

______ processes involve transformation of geological features over time.

Geological Signup and view all the answers

Volcanic eruptions are considered a type of ______.

geological event Signup and view all the answers

A geological feature created by divergent plate boundaries is a ______.

rift valley Signup and view all the answers

The ______ is an example of an ocean basin formed by divergent plate boundaries.

Red Sea Signup and view all the answers

The ______ is a notable rift that is located in Africa.

Great Rift Valley Signup and view all the answers

When land masses move apart at divergent boundaries, it can result in the formation of a ______.

linear sea Signup and view all the answers

The ______ is located between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Gulf of Aden Signup and view all the answers

Convection currents are driven by ______ in the mantle.

heat Signup and view all the answers

The primary driver of plate tectonic ______ is convection current.

movement Signup and view all the answers

The Red Sea Rift was formed by the divergence between the African Plate and the ______ Plate.

Arabian Signup and view all the answers

Earthquake and ______ eruptions are influenced by tectonic movement.

volcanic Signup and view all the answers

Convection currents in the mantle occur in ______ cycles.

heat-driven Signup and view all the answers

The Red Sea is called Red Sea because when the bacteria Trichodesmium Erythraeum die, they turn the blue-green water of the sea to a ______.

reddish-brown Signup and view all the answers

Tectonic processes are influenced by ______ currents in the mantle.

convection Signup and view all the answers

The ______ Sea is located between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Red Signup and view all the answers

Trichodesmium Erythraeum is a type of ______ found in the waters of the Red Sea.

bacteria Signup and view all the answers

The phenomenon of the Red Sea's color change is primarily associated with the death of ______.

bacteria Signup and view all the answers

When plate divergence occurs, the continental crust ______.

rifts Signup and view all the answers

Continental rift zones occur in weak spots in the continental ______ plate.

lithospheric Signup and view all the answers

As the pieces of the continent move apart, a new ocean ______ is created.

basin Signup and view all the answers

In continental rifting, ______ rises beneath the continent causing it to split apart.

magma Signup and view all the answers

New crust is created by intruding magmas and ______ erupting on the ocean floor.

lava Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Plate Boundaries and Continental Drift

Plate boundaries represent the meeting points of tectonic plates, crucial in shaping Earth's geological features.
The supercontinent Pangaea existed prior to the theory of continental drift, comprising all major landmasses.
Pangaea included present-day North America, South America, Africa, Eurasia, India, Australia, and Antarctica.
Current continents are separated by five major oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic.
The extinct Tethys Ocean was once located between the continents that are now separated.

Geological Terms

Geological Features: Include mountains, volcanoes, ocean trenches, canyons, and islands.
Geological Events: Natural occurrences like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
Geological Processes: Processes leading to the formation of features and phenomena, such as subduction and mantle convection.

Underwater Environments and Plate Dynamics

Underwater features include the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise, both significant geological formations.
Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent plate boundary causing the North American and Eurasian plates to separate.
As plates diverge, magma rises to create new oceanic crust through volcanic activity.

Types of Plate Boundaries

Three types of plate boundaries are identified:
- Divergent: Plates spread apart, forming new oceanic lithosphere.
- Convergent: Plates collide and one is forced beneath another, destroying oceanic lithosphere.
- Transform: Plates slide past one another without creating or destroying lithosphere.

Subduction Process

Subduction is when a denser oceanic plate descends below a less dense continental plate.
This process shapes formations and geological features, influencing earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Geological Features at Divergent Boundaries

Divergent boundaries feature rift valleys, ocean basins, linear seas, and fault lines.
Notable examples of divergent boundaries include the Great Rift Valley in Africa, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

Convection Currents in the Mantle

Heat-driven cycles in the mantle are central to tectonic movement, triggering earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Continental Divergence

Continental rifting occurs in weak spots where the crust thins and splits, leading to the formation of new ocean basins.
The Red Sea Rift formed between the African Plate and the Arabian Plate.
The reddish hue of the Red Sea is due to the presence of the bacterium Trichodesmium Erythraeum, which changes water color when it dies.

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Description

Explore the concept of plate boundaries and the phenomenon of continental drift. This lesson covers the historical supercontinent Pangaea and its impact on the current configuration of continents. Test your understanding of how tectonic plates shape our planet.

Geography Lesson 4: Plate Boundaries

Questions and Answers

Before Continental Drift, the supercontinent was called ______.

The ______ Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the continents today.

The continents are separated by various oceans, including the ______ Ocean.

The extinct ______ Ocean was located between the continents before they drifted.

The current configuration of continents includes ______, Antarctica, and Africa.

Iceland lies on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, a divergent plate boundary where the ______ Plate and the Eurasian Plate are moving away from each other.

As the plates pull apart, molten rock or ______ rises up and erupts as lava creating new ocean crust.

The Mid Atlantic Ridge runs through the middle of ______.

The North American Plate is on one side of the ridge, and the ______ Plate is on the other side.

Important locations in Iceland include ______ and Thingvellir.

The ______ Ridge is an underwater mountain range located in the Atlantic Ocean.

The ______ Rise is a linear submarine volcanic chain in the south-eastern Pacific Ocean.

On the left side of the image, a diver is exploring a narrow underwater ______.

The walls of the canyon are made up of layered ______.

On the right side of the image, a ______ vehicle is shown above the seabed.

At a divergent boundary, the motion is called ______.

The effect of a convergent boundary is known as ______.

Transform boundaries involve ______ of the lithosphere.

The topography at a divergent boundary is characterized by a ______.

Volcanic activity is generally present at ______ boundaries.

Subduction is a geologic process in which one edge of one lithospheric plate is forced below the edge of another, with the ______ plate sinking beneath the other.

In subduction, the ______ plate is forced below the continental plate.

The oceanic plate is ______ than the continental plate.

The continental plate remains on top because it is ______ dense.

An arrow in the diagram shows the ______ of the oceanic plate.

Examples of ______ include mountains, volcanoes, and canyons.

______ like earthquakes and tsunamis can have significant impacts on the earth.

The process of ______ contributes to the formation of mountain ranges.

______ processes involve transformation of geological features over time.

Volcanic eruptions are considered a type of ______.

A geological feature created by divergent plate boundaries is a ______.

The ______ is an example of an ocean basin formed by divergent plate boundaries.

The ______ is a notable rift that is located in Africa.

When land masses move apart at divergent boundaries, it can result in the formation of a ______.

The ______ is located between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Convection currents are driven by ______ in the mantle.

The primary driver of plate tectonic ______ is convection current.

The Red Sea Rift was formed by the divergence between the African Plate and the ______ Plate.

Earthquake and ______ eruptions are influenced by tectonic movement.

Convection currents in the mantle occur in ______ cycles.

The Red Sea is called Red Sea because when the bacteria Trichodesmium Erythraeum die, they turn the blue-green water of the sea to a ______.

Tectonic processes are influenced by ______ currents in the mantle.

The ______ Sea is located between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Trichodesmium Erythraeum is a type of ______ found in the waters of the Red Sea.

The phenomenon of the Red Sea's color change is primarily associated with the death of ______.

When plate divergence occurs, the continental crust ______.

Continental rift zones occur in weak spots in the continental ______ plate.

As the pieces of the continent move apart, a new ocean ______ is created.

In continental rifting, ______ rises beneath the continent causing it to split apart.

New crust is created by intruding magmas and ______ erupting on the ocean floor.

Study Notes

Plate Boundaries and Continental Drift

Geological Terms

Underwater Environments and Plate Dynamics

Types of Plate Boundaries

Subduction Process

Geological Features at Divergent Boundaries

Convection Currents in the Mantle

Continental Divergence

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