layers of the earth and plate tectonics activity

Layers of the Earth and Plate Tectonics Activity

What is Geology• Geo- Earth• Ology is the study of

• This activity will help us study the earth by learning what it is made of and how it can be changed

4 layers of the Earth

1. Crust2. Mantle3. Inner core4. Outer core

Milky Way- cut in half

• Chocolate- crust- thinnest layer made of rocks and soil (land we walk on and under the sea)

• Caramel- mantle- holt molten rock, what would come out of a volcano

• Light brown layer- outer core- liquid iron• Bottom layer of chocolate- inner core, solid

iron and is the hottest layer (almost as hot as sun)

Plate Tectonics

• Plates- large section of the Earth’s crust that slowly move over partially melted rock in the upper mantle

• This movement explain how the Earth’s surface has changed over time and we can predict how it will change in the future

formation, movements, collusions, destruction of Earth’s crust

PT- Activity

• Frosting- mantle• Graham cracker- crust1 Spread frosting on wax paper2 Place 2 graham cracker on frosting – make

sure they are touching

Divergent Plate Boundary• Move plates apart to expose mantle

spreading zone. • When plates move apart, it creates cracks in

the Earth called rift valley• Allows hot, melted rock to come up through

the cracks volcano opening is formed• Sea floor spreading- new sea floor created• http://geology.com/nsta/divergent-boundary-

oceanic.gif

Convergent Plate Boundary

• Push plates back together until the middle forms a ridge

• When plates collide they create mountains this is called a collision zone

• Appalachian mountains – Africa collided with North America during formation of Pangea

• Destroy sea floor- ocean plates more dense than land plates, when they converge ocean plates slide under land plates

3 sub types

• Ocean to ocean• Ocean to continental • Continental to continental

• http://geology.com/nsta/convergent-plate-boundaries.shtml

Transform Plate boundary• Slide the edges of plates against each other• This horizontal grinding and sliding of the

plates causes earthquakes• This is called a shearing fault• A fault is a fracture in the Earth’s crust• New Madrid Fault- runs along the eastern

border of Missouri• San Andreas Fault- most studied