Earth’s surface is always changing. Some changes, caused by erosion, are ______. Some changes, caused by earthquakes, are _______. The Earth’s crust is like a puzzle. It is made up of huge pieces called __________ ______. The tectonic plates float on top of the mantle. The mantle is a soft, hot rock layer located between the _____ and the _____ ____. Heat is transferred from the core to the crust via _______currents (look at the arrows). Heat in the core causes magma to _______in columns in the mantle. The hot magma columns move the _______and then when the magma cools, it _______back towards the core.

The currents of hot _______pull and push the plates, causing the plates to smash together, _______apart, or grind past each other. This results in earthquakes, _______, and shapes many of Earth’s landforms.

The theory of Plate _______was defined in the 1970s. It follows Alfred Wegener’s 1912 theory of continental drift. He believed the _____ were once one landmass. The landmass split apart and moved to their current locations. His evidence was the _______of the continents which suggests they were once joined. _______are found in similar locations across multiple continents _______where the organisms would be found if the continents were once joined. This was a first step towards the _______tectonics theory.

Tectonic plates are either Oceanic Plates or Continental Plates. Oceanic plates are primarily ocean _______. They are _______and mostly made of _______rock. Continental _______rise above sea level. They are _______dense and made mostly of _______. Plates can move towards each other, _______from each other, or _______past each other. Plates only move 3-5 cm per year, which makes their normal movement impossible to observe.

A _______plate boundary occurs when two plates push together. When two _______plates collide high mountains, such as the Himalayas or Andes, can be formed. When two plates of different densities collide, such as a continental plate and an _______plate, _______occurs. The denser plate (oceanic) sinks beneath the _______dense plate. _______are frequently found at convergent boundaries.

Word bank, some words are used more than once
away
convection
fast
mantle
rise
subduction
baslt
core
granite
oceanic
sinks
volcanoes
continents
crust
less
plate's
slide
year
continental
dense
magma
pull
slow

1 answer

Earth’s surface is always changing. Some changes, caused by erosion, are slow. Some changes, caused by earthquakes, are fast. The Earth’s crust is like a puzzle. It is made up of huge pieces called tectonic plates. The tectonic plates float on top of the mantle. The mantle is a soft, hot rock layer located between the crust and the core. Heat is transferred from the core to the crust via convection currents (look at the arrows). Heat in the core causes magma to rise in columns in the mantle. The hot magma columns move the plates and then when the magma cools, it sinks back towards the core.

The currents of hot magma pull and push the plates, causing the plates to smash together, slide apart, or grind past each other. This results in earthquakes, volcanoes, and shapes many of Earth’s landforms.

The theory of Plate Tectonics was defined in the 1970s. It follows Alfred Wegener’s 1912 theory of continental drift. He believed the continents were once one landmass. The landmass split apart and moved to their current locations. His evidence was the shape of the continents which suggests they were once joined. Fossils are found in similar locations across multiple continents where the organisms would be found if the continents were once joined. This was a first step towards the plate tectonics theory.

Tectonic plates are either Oceanic Plates or Continental Plates. Oceanic plates are primarily ocean basalt. They are dense and mostly made of basalt rock. Continental plates rise above sea level. They are less dense and made mostly of granite. Plates can move towards each other, away from each other, or slide past each other. Plates only move 3-5 cm per year, which makes their normal movement impossible to observe.

A convergent plate boundary occurs when two plates push together. When two continental plates collide high mountains, such as the Himalayas or Andes, can be formed. When two plates of different densities collide, such as a continental plate and an oceanic plate, subduction occurs. The denser plate (oceanic) sinks beneath the less dense plate. Volcanoes are frequently found at convergent boundaries.