Moving and Shaking RM 1 RM 1 Operation: Earth s Structure

Moving and Shaking RM 1 RM 1 Operation: Earth s Structure You are attending an international meeting of geologists. In order to properly understand the layers of the earth, you must create a folding model. Follow the directions below and use the information cards detailing Earth s layers to correctly construct and label the folding model. 1. Cut along only the dotted lines on RM 2. 2. Match the solid outline on RM 2 with the solid outline on RM 3. 3. Apply glue to the triangular area labeled Place Glue Here on RM 3. 4. Lay RM 2 on top of RM 3 so that the shapes match. 5. Organize the information cards in order from the inner core at the pointed end of the cone to the crust at the top of the cone. 6. Label the first flap at the pointed end of the cone inner core. 7. Fold the flap back. Record the elements found, temperature, and state of matter of the inner core using the information card. 8. Continue to label each flap and record the elements found, temperature, and state of matter of each layer under its flap. 9. Color the layers a different color as follows: Crust/lithosphere green Mantle/asthenosphere yellow Outer core orange Inner core red 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 167

Moving and Shaking RM 4 Earth s Layers in Detail The Inner Core The deepest layer in Earth is the inner core. It is located at the center of Earth because it contains the densest material of all of Earth s layers. The inner core is solid and mostly composed of the element iron (Fe). Its extremely hot temperature is estimated at 6,000 C. This layer is approximately 1,250 km thick. The Outer Core The outer core is less dense than the inner core and, therefore, is located around the inner core. The temperatures range from 4,000 C to 5,000 C. The outer core is approximately 2,200 kilometers thick and is a combination of mostly molten iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni). Molten describes materials that change to liquid form when exposed to extreme amounts of thermal energy. The Mantle and Asthenosphere The mantle is located outside the outer core. This layer is mostly made of iron (Fe) and magnesium (Mg) and has a thickness of approximately 2,900 kilometers. The upper mantle s high temperatures of 2,800 3,200 C can melt rocks. The semisolid layer in the upper part of the mantle is called the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is a solid that flows like a liquid. This physical property is called plasticity. Scientists believe that the lithosphere and the crust are able to move slowly over the top of the mantle and asthenosphere. The Crust and Lithosphere The layer around the asthenosphere is known as the lithosphere. The lithosphere is the solid outer layer of Earth that consists of the crust and the upper mantle. This layer is made mostly of the elements oxygen (O 2 ) and silicon (Si). The crust is the thinnest layer of Earth and is much cooler in temperature. Continental crust is thicker than oceanic crust. The crust is broken into many large pieces called tectonic plates. Scientists believe these plates float and move around very slowly on the semiliquid asthenosphere. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 173

Moving and Shaking RM 5 A Current? How Convectional! Task Guide 1. Place four cans so they resemble the four corners of a rectangle. 2. Rest the aluminum pan so that it sits securely on the cans. 3. Pour water slowly into the aluminum pan until it is half full. Allow a few moments for the water to settle before continuing to Step 4. 4. Place the candle on the wooden block and position it next to one end of the pan. 5. Place one drop of red food coloring in one end of the pan as shown in the graphic. 6. Place one drop of blue food coloring on the opposite end of the pan. 7. Draw and label a picture of the setup, including the drops of food coloring in the Before box on RM 6. 8. Raise your hand and ask the teacher to light the candle. 9. Carefully slide the block with the lit candle under the pan so that the flame is directly beneath the red drop of food coloring. Make sure that the flame is not touching the pan. 10. Observe both drops of food coloring for 1 minute. 11. Draw and label a picture showing the food coloring drops in the After box on RM 6. 12. Blow out the candle and listen for clean-up instructions. Use caution when handling the cans and aluminum pan because they may be hot. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 175

Moving and Shaking RM 6 A Current? How Convectional! Record Sheet Name: Before After 1 Minute 1. After 1 minute, what differences do you observe about the red and blue drops of food coloring? 2. What independent variable caused a difference betwen the behavior of the red and blue drops of food coloring? Explain how and why the independent variable caused change to occur. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 177

Moving and Shaking RM 9 Expert Group 1: Can You Find Us? The Earth s tectonic plates are generally named for the continents or oceans that are located on that piece of crust. Task 1. Use the clues and coordinates below to locate and label each of the following tectonic plates on your map. Pacific Plate While I am mostly crust under the ocean, I have a small piece of continental crust and can cause a lot of moving and shaking in California. I am found between 150 E longitude and 120 W longitude. North American Plate I rattle people s nerves when I collide with my pal the Pacific plate. I am home to the United States and Mexico. About half of me is under the Atlantic Ocean. Indo-Australian Plate I am located underneath the Indian Ocean and stretch from the land of the koalas to Iraq in the Middle East. I can be found between 40 N latitude and 60 S latitude. African Plate I can be found with my mummy where 0 latitude meets 0 longitude. South American Plate I extend from 60 S latitude to 15 N latitude and am home to the Amazon rain forest. Eurasian Plate Russia, China, and Europe all call me home, which makes me rather large. I collide with the Indo-Australian Plate quite often. Nazca Plate I am sliding towards and under my neighbor, the South American plate. I am a smaller plate covered by the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Did you find them all? Check with the other experts at your table to be sure. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 183

Moving and Shaking RM 10 Expert Group 2: Coming Together! Earth s tectonic plates sometimes move toward each other. As these plates collide over long periods of time, they crumble and form high mountain ranges. The Himalayan Mountains were formed and are still reaching new heights today due to colliding plates. This collision of plates can also produce strong earthquakes. Complete the following tasks to understand more about the effects caused by tectonic plates moving toward each other. Task 1 1. Draw a line down the center of the aluminum foil square using the marker. This line is your imaginary plate boundary. 2. Place your hands side by side on the aluminum foil with the line, or boundary, running between them. 3. Push your hands slowly toward each other while observing what occurs at the plate boundary. 4. Keep your piece of aluminum foil to share with your home group. Task 2 1. Place your transparency film over the map on RM 8. 2. Draw a dot on your transparency where 35 N and 70 E intersect using a green marker. 3. Draw another dot where 30 N and 90 E intersect. 4. Connect the dots with a line, and write Himalayan Mountains as close to the line as possible. 5. Draw two arrows pointing toward each other, with one arrow on either side of the Himalayan Mountains. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 185

Moving and Shaking RM 11 Expert Group 3: Moving Apart! Some tectonic plates move apart very slowly over time. This type of plate movement usually occurs on the ocean floor. As the plates move away from each other, hot, molten rock called magma moves up into the space between the plates. Once molten material reaches Earth s surface, it is called lava. As the lava escapes, it cools and hardens to form new crust in the ocean basin. Over time, the lava builds to form large underwater mountain ranges along the edge of the plate boundary. Underwater mountains are formed as a result of the plates moving apart. Examples include the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Atlantic Ocean and the East Pacific Rise in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes may also occur as a result of the plates moving apart. Task 1. Place your transparency film over the map on RM 8. 2. Using a blue marker, draw a small square at the intersection of points 60 N and 30 W. 3. Draw another small square at the intersection of points 40 N and 30 W. 4. Draw another small square at the intersection of points 15 N and 45 W. 5. Draw another small square at the intersection of points 5 S and 20 W. 6. Draw a line to connect the squares in the order they were drawn. Label this line Mid-Atlantic Ridge. 7. Draw small Ys along both sides of the ridge with the blue marker. These represent newly formed crust. 8. Draw Os outside the Ys on both sides of the ridge with the blue marker. These represent older crust. 9. Draw two arrows pointing away from each other, with one on each side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 187

Moving and Shaking RM 12 Expert Group 4: We re Going Under! When two plates collide, one plate is sometimes pushed underneath the other. This process occurs over a long period of time. The denser plate slides under the plate that is less dense. This is similar to what happens in a mixture of oil and water. Water is denser than oil so it settles underneath the oil. Place your hands in front of you with your palms facing the floor as shown in the graphic. Push your left hand slightly under your right hand. This motion demonstrates what happens when one plate slides under the other. This is sometimes referred to as a destructive boundary. The part of the plate that slides underneath melts due to high temperatures and becomes magma. The newly formed magma is less dense than the surrounding rock. The magma moves upward through the crust to form a volcano. The Andes Mountains, located along the west coast of South America, are a result of plates sliding beneath one another. The Aleutian Islands of Alaska are another result of this type of plate movement. Earthquakes are common along all of these boundaries. Task 1. Place your transparency film over the map on RM 8. 2. Draw a triangle at the intersection of 55 N and 160 W with a red marker. 3. Draw another triangle at the intersection of 50 N and 180 W. 4. Connect the triangles with a line and label the line Aleutian Islands. 5. Draw 10 small triangles on the west coast of South America, starting at 0 latitude and ending at 50 S. 6. Draw a line connecting all of the triangles and label it Andes Mountains. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 189

Moving and Shaking RM 13 Expert Group 5: Super Slide! Some tectonic plates slide past each other. Place your hands in front of you, side by side, with your palms facing the floor as shown in the graphic. Move your right hand forward and your left hand backward. This type of movement occurs along the California coast at the boundary between the North American and Pacific Plates. These plate boundaries do not destroy or build up Earth s crust. The San Andreas Fault in California is a result of this type of boundary. Earthquakes are the primary geological events occurring in this area due to sliding plates. Complete the tasks below to better understand how this plate boundary works. Task 1 1. Place the two strips of paper next to each other so that the longer edges are against one another. This is similar to what a transform boundary looks like. 2. Stack the blocks to form a small city along the transform boundary. 3. Quickly slide the strips of paper, side by side, in opposite directions. 4. Observe what happens to the blocks and plates. Task 2 1. Place your transparency film over the map on RM 8. 2. With an orange marker, write the letter F, for fault, at the intersection of 30 N and 120 W. 3. Write another letter F at the intersection of 40 N and 123 W. 4. Connect the Fs with a line and label it San Andreas Fault. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 191

Moving and Shaking RM 14 Expert Group Summary Sheet Expert Group 1 1. What are the names of the seven major tectonic plates? Expert Group 2 2. How are the plates moving at this boundary? 3. What effects does it have on Earth s surface? Expert Group 3 4. How are the plates moving at this boundary? 5. What effects does it have on Earth s surface? 6. What is the difference between magma and lava? 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 193

Moving and Shaking RM 14 continued Expert Group 4 7. How are the plates moving at this boundary? 8. What effects does it have on Earth s surface? Expert Group 5 9. How are the plates moving at this boundary? 10. What effects does it have on Earth s surface? 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 195

Moving and Shaking RM 17 Part A. Write the letter of the tectonic plate next to the corresponding name below. A B D C E F G H 1. Pacific Plate 5. African Plate 2. Eurasian Plate 6. North American Plate 3. Indo-Australian Plate 7. Nazca Plate 4. Antarctic Plate 8. South American Plate Part B. Describe the major result of each of the following plate movements. 9. Plates moving toward each other. 10. Plates sliding against each other. 11. One plate sliding underneath another. 12. Plates moving away from each other. Part C. On the back of this page, draw and label the following. 13. Diagram with the structural layers of Earth and convection currents labeled. 2010 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 201