Name_________________________Patterns of Crustal Activity

INTRODUCTION: Studies of diastrophism have shown that crustal activities are occurring world-wide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges do not occur randomly. There are special zones in which they occur. In this lab you will look for the relationships between the locations of these crustal activities.

OBJECTIVE: You will plot the areas in which earthquakes and volcanoes occur most frequently, the depths at which they happen and identify other crustal activities that appear related to these zones. You will then analyze your maps to discover the worldwide pattern of earthquake and volcano distribution.

MATERIALS: ESRT page 5, 3 pencils (brown, red, green), Namowitz Textbook.

PROCEDURE Part 1

1. On your World-Wide Crustal Activity Map label the Equator, Prime Meridian and International Dateline. Label the North, South, East and West hemispheres of the map.

2. Using the information from the Locations Chart: Earthquakes, put a green dot on the map at the location of the first earthquake and label it E1.

3. On the Data Table place an X in the box to represent the type of boundary the earthquake is on. Write the names of the two plates that are interacting at this location.

4. Repeat this process for the next earthquake until all have been plotted.

5. Use the information from the Locations Chart: Volcanoes, put a red dot on the map at the location of the first volcano and label it V1.

6. On the Data Table place an X in the box to represent the type of boundary the volcano is on. Write the names of the two plates that are interacting at this location.

7. Repeat this process for the next volcano until all have been plotted.

8. Using the map on pages 656 & 657 of the Namowitz Textbook as a reference, sketch the following mountain ranges in brown: Atlas, Rockies, Andes, Alps, Appalachians, Himalayas, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Mid-Ocean Ridge, Hawaiian Ridge.

9. Lightly shade the areas in which earthquakes and volcanoes are found, use the same colors that you used when you plotted the earthquakes and volcanoes.

Part 2

Locations Chart EARTHQUAKESLatitude Longitude

1 40ºN 120ºW2 5ºS 119ºW3 4ºS 77ºW4 23ºN 88ºE5 14ºS 121ºW6 7ºN 35ºE7 44ºN 74ºW8 30ºS 70ºW9 45ºN 10ºE10 13ºN 85ºW11 23ºN 125ºE12 35ºN 30ºE13 35ºN 140ºE14 46ºN 12ºE15 28ºN 75ºE

Locations Chart VOLCANOES

Latitude Longitude1 60ºN 150ºW2 35ºS 70ºW3 45ºN 120ºW4 15ºN 61ºW5 20ºN 105ºW6 0º 75ºW7 40ºN 122ºW8 40ºN 30ºE9 30ºN 60ºE10 55ºN 160ºE11 3ºS 37ºE12 40ºN 145ºE13 10ºS 120ºE14 41ºN 14ºE15 5ºS 105ºE

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1. On the Selected Epicenter Locations of South America Map provided, draw a cross-sectional line along line AB on your map of South America to show the depth of earthquake foci.

2. After plotting the depth of earthquake foci connect them with a smooth line.

3. On your cross section, copy the arrows that show the direction the crustal plates are moving.

A B

0 Cross-Section of South America50

100150200250300350400450500

DATA TABLE

EARTHQUAKES

EQ# DIVERGENT

CONVERGENT

TRANSFORM

MID-PLATE (HOTSPOT)

PLATES

E1E2E3E4E5E6E7E8E9E10

VOLCANOES

EQ# DIVERGENT

CONVERGENT

TRANSFORM

MID-PLATE (HOTSPOT)

PLATES

V1V2V3V4V5V6V7V8V9V10

QUESTIONS:

1. Describe the pattern of earthquakes on your map.

2. How are the locations of earthquakes, mountain ranges, and volcanic activity related?

3. What regions of North and South America show the greatest crustal activity?

4. According to your map, what is the probability of having either a major earthquake shake your house or of having a volcano pop up in your backyard?

5. What type of boundary are the majority of earthquakes along? Volcanoes?

6. Why is the perimeter around the Pacific Ocean referred to as the “Ring of Fire”?

7. Using your cross-section of South America, describe the pattern of earthquake depth from west to east along line AB.

8. What surface feature on the west coast of South America has apparently formed as a result of the collision of the two crustal plates?

CONCLUSION: Compare the pattern of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges on the earth.

REGENTS QUESTIONS

WORLD-WIDE CRUSTAL ACTIVITY MAP