Mapping world plates helps students connect topography, earthquakes, volcanoes, and plates. Types of plate boundaries map identification directions b 1. Plate tectonics expands on the continental drift theory and is based on the concept that. Use the table below and the map key on the types of plate boundaries map to draw the correct symbols identifying each type of plate boundary. The motions of most major plates are well constrained by a model velocity field obtained in a leastsquares fit to the observed geodetic velocities for those plates. Aug 27, 2010 plate tectonics is regulated by driving and resisting forces concentrated at plate boundaries, but observationally constrained highresolution models of global mantle flow remain a computational challenge. Which of these statements about activities along subduction zones is true. Resources for world plate boundaries word docs for world plate boundaries maps the map on the next page is offered in several formats for classroom use. Delineating the driving forces behind plate motions is important for understanding the processes that have shaped earth throughout its history.
In my experience, prior knowledge of plate tectonics and plate. Types of plate boundaries map identification activity. Well the best way to see plate boundaries is to look for the major earthquakes. Use a model to explain the formation of continental and oceanfloor features that result from the movement of earths lithospheric plates analyze data on a world map that shows the locations of hot spots to. The southern edge of the caribbean plate, passing through northern south america, is an example. Closely spaced earthquakes with a range of depths that deepen i.
Morgans 1968 map showing the worlds plates indicates that the. Activityworld map of plate boundaries wheres waldostyle geography. There are divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries and transform boundaries. An updated digital model of plate boundaries, geochemistry geophysics geosystems, 43, 1027, doi. We utilize the open access global plate motion model of muller et al. Symbols white arrows show plate motion direction volcanoes generalized hot spot arrow direction of plate motion great earthquakes since 1900. In general, plate boundaries are the scene of much geologic action earthquakes, volcanoes, and dramatic. Additional information about this exercise can be found at. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. Plate boundary zones broad belts in which boundaries are not well defined and the effects of plate interaction are unclear. Another is the boundary between the north american plate and the eurasian plate. Plates move apart at divergent plate boundaries such as the oceanic ridge system that separates the north american and eurasian plates in the north atlantic ocean. We capitalized on advances in adaptive mesh refinement algorithms on parallel computers to simulate global mantle flow by incorporating plate motions, with individual plate margins resolved. Discovering plate boundaries alison henning, rice university this version of the activity provides a description of an assessment requiring groups of students to use the knowledge they have gained in drawing plate boundaries to describe the plate boundary types surrounding a.
Earthquakes and volcanoes are most likely to occur either on or near plate boundaries. By the end of 1967, earths surface had been mapped into a series of plates figure 10. However, the accurate prediction of plate motions, boundaryzone deformation, rigidity, and stresses remains a difficult frontier in numerical modeling. The oceanic plate is denser than the continental plate so, as they move together, the oceanic plate is forced underneath the continental plate. Scientists use seismographs that record earthquake waves to find the outline of the different crustal plates. Earthquakes form when building stresses within the earths solid crust are released in single instants of motion. Global distribution of the lithosphereasthenosphere. Divergent margins and continental spreading centers. A global boundary stratotype section and point, abbreviated gssp, is an internationally agreed upon reference point on a stratigraphic section which defines the lower boundary of a stage on the geologic time scale. Print the blank map of the world found at the end of the chapter and draw the major plate boundaries and label the names of the plates.
Plate boundary boundary type stresses north american plate and the pacific plate near california nazca plate and the south american plate. Discovering plate boundaries teaching materials collection. We present a global dynamic model that produces a good fit to such. Global plate boundary evolution and kinematics since the late.
Plate motions and stresses from global dynamic models. Word docs for world plate boundaries mapsthe map on the next page is offered in several formats for classroom use. A few boundaries are newly interpreted from topography, volcanism, andor seismicity, taking into account relative plate velocities from magnetic anomalies, moment tensor solutions, andor geodesy. Large earthquakes on thrust faults occur at the boundary between downgoing and overriding plates. In this section you will find materials that support the implementation of earthcomm, section 5. Pacific plate south american plate plate boundary map this map is from dietmar mueller, univ. Plates, plate boundaries, and driving forces earth science. To learn more about plate boundary environments, complete the following. Historic preamble the permiantriassic boundary working group ptbwg was. Mix with experts in different areas, decide where you believe plate boundaries are based on group information each student turns. Topography, plate boundaries, and subduction zone seismicity contour map. A global set of present plate boundaries on the earth is presented in digital form.
Geological survey geologic investigations series map. A map of global tectonic and volcanic activity over the last one million years, showing. Continents are drifting across the face of our planet. Plates, plate boundaries, and driving forces visionlearning vol. The land forms associated with the plate boundary mountains, valleys, trenches, etc. Tectonic plates plate boundary referenced from bird, peter 2003 an updated digital model of plate boundaries. Mix with experts in different areas, decide where you believe plate boundaries are based on group information each student turns in own paper, though. The theory has caused a revolution in the way we think about the earth. The type of expected plate motion convergent, divergent, and transform. Map of the pacific plate boundaries and relative motion, from this dynamic planet. The lithosphere lithosphere is comprised of the upper mantle and the crust, the outer shell of the earth. A map of global tectonic and volcanic activity over the last one million years. We present a global dynamic model that produces a good fit to such parameters by accounting for.
An important change in ideas about plate tectonics has been the recognition that the boundaries between plates are often broad zones of deformation, rather than the narrow boundaries originally assumed in plate tectonic theory. Transform plate boundarywhere crust is neither produced nor consumed as plates selected fossil boundary former plate boundary, now inactive. The earth is composed of layers of different composition and physical properties, principally the solid central core, the fluid peripheral core, the viscous mantle, and the solid. Find tectonic plate gis data there a few sources of freely available tectonic plate data that is available in various gis data formats such as shapefiles and kmz.
Animation of plate motions and global plate boundary evolution since the late precambrian, geological society of america 2001 annual meeting, boston, november 26, abstracts with programs, v. Hence, although it used to be common to straddle the san andreas fault and view. Published by the american geophysical union as part of the geodynamics series, volume 30. Letter codes are abbreviations for parks on tectonic settings pages and the tectonic settingsmaster list on. Pdf animation of plate motions and global plate boundary. World map of volcanoes, earthquakes, impact craters, and plate tectonics. This usually involves a continental plate and an oceanic plate. Convergent plate boundarywhere crust is recycled as one plate dives under anothe. Convergence data are shown by arrows describing direction and speed, relative to the plate across the boundary.
Describe the type of stresses that occur at the plate boundaries in table 1. Generally, the depth of an earthquake is related to the type of tectonic boundary in which it occurs. Plates, plate boundaries, and driving forces earth. The convergent boundary between two such plates is marked by an ocean trench. World map of volcanoes, oorthquakes, impact craters, and plate tectonics. The central assumption of plate tectonics, that plate interiors are rigid, remains a useful but uncertain approximation.
Reconstructed seafloor age and continental drift from muller et al. The length of the arrows on the map show yearly plate movement. Plate tectonics and global impacts tutorial script where can we find plate boundaries on the planet. We capitalized on advances in adaptive mesh refinement algorithms on parallel computers to simulate global mantle flow by incorporating plate motions, with. Includes many maps for printing, and student worksheets. Jun 14, 2004 the earths crust is constantly in motion. The narrowness of all plate boundaries, the other main assumption of plate tectonics as originally conceived, is contradicted by many observations, both in the continents and in the. Plates crash into each other along convergent plate boundaries marked by volcanoes and mountain belts. Feb 17, 2012 delineating the driving forces behind plate motions is important for understanding the processes that have shaped earth throughout its history. As students become aware of plate movements, they begin to identify patterns that set the stage for deeper understanding of a very complex topic. Hence, although it used to be common to straddle the san. The areas where these plates collide often have increased volcanic and earthquake activity.
The earths plates move in different directions plates behave differently at different plate boundaries. Dec 28, 2016 find tectonic plate gis data there a few sources of freely available tectonic plate data that is available in various gis data formats such as shapefiles and kmz. Introduction pdf discovering plate boundaries rice university. Pdf png this map can be useful to find rough geographic locations, etc. Global distribution of the lithosphereasthenosphere boundary. Where an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the oceanic plate tips down and slides beneath the continental plate forming a deep ocean trench long, narrow, deep basin. Global annual temperature and time for 18802005 and specified volcanic eruptions.
The activity uses a simple wheres waldo approach to identify tectonic symbols on a laminated world. The geographic datasets are broken out by plate type. Where plates converge and at least one plate is oceanic, dense oceanic lithosphere on one side of the plate margin sinks into the asthenosphere in a subduction zone. These types of boundaries must be plotted on a map showing their approximate locations. The point at which this happens is called the subduction zone. A tectonic plate boundary is the fault line between crustal plates.
In 2003, peter bird published a global data set of plate boundaries citation. These observations about the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes helped geologists define the processes that occur at spreading ridges and subduction zones. In addition, they helped scientists recognize that there are other types of plate boundaries. Stewart 2 cartography and graphic design by will r. Discover how global mountain ranges are formed related to plate motions. It is useful if they have seen a world map and know the names of the continents and oceans. The global stratotype section and point gssp of the permiantriassic boundary has been rati. Superimposed in red are the more than 400 national park system sites. Plate motions and stresses from global dynamic models science.
Using a doublepage size digital topographic map of the earth that includes both land and sea floor topography, students are asked to draw plate boundaries, deduce plate motions and interactions, and explore the connections between topography and tectonic processes at the global scale. Pdf the central assumption of plate tectonics, that plate interiors are rigid, remains a. Sections of the crust, called plates, push against each other due to forces from the molten interior of the earth. Animation of plate motions and global plate boundary evolution since the late precambrian, geological society of america 2001 annual meeting, boston, november 26, abstracts with. The activity uses a simple wheres waldo approach to identify tectonic symbols on a laminated world plate tectonic map. Here are two plate tectonics maps which show more detail than the maps above. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the earth move and deform. In addition to occurring in the ocean, there are also some areas where earthquakes occur at divergent plate boundaries on continents. The source code for both tensor clustering and global boundary refinement will be made publicly available with the publication. Since not everyone has access to a largeformat printer we offer the poster as a 3page, tabloidsize pdf file that can be printed and taped together. Gravity and mantle convection are two driving forces for the movement of plates. Tectonic plates california institute of technology. Note different types of boundary on a single plate. Plate tectonics is regulated by driving and resisting forces concentrated at plate boundaries, but observationally constrained highresolution models of global mantle flow remain a computational challenge.
Plate tectonics theory explains 1 fit of continents 2 similar fossils on different continents. Third edition published 2006 by tom simkin, 1 robert i. Global boundary stratotype section and point wikipedia. An example of this type of movement, called subduction, occurs at the boundary between the oceanic nazca plate and the continental south american plate. Chinese continental shelf of exotic origin collided with continental china 100. Plate convergence vectors referenced from united states geological survey.
The effort to define gssps is conducted by the international commission on stratigraphy, a part of the international union of geological sciences. The point where two plates meet is called a plate boundary. Global volcanoes 36 x 60 acrobat pdf 705kb jan2 12 age of seafloor rocks 36 x 60 acrobat pdf 2. However, the accurate prediction of plate motions, boundary zone deformation, rigidity, and stresses remains a difficult frontier in numerical modeling. Analyze data on a world map that shows the locations of hot spots to determine patterns in hot spot formation.