Week 10

Week 10: Layers of Earth and Convection Cells 

What did you do in lab today? 

SCHOOL OF THE WILD

What was the big question? 

  • What are the layers of Earth?
  • What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
  • What can form at the three types of plate boundaries?

What did you learn in Thursday’s discussion? 

Quiz Questions  
 

What is occurring at the mid-Atlantic Ridge? (Using word skills you should 
be able to figure out what this is) 
a. The plates are moving toward one another (converging) 
b. The plates are moving apart from one another (diverging) 
c. The plates are stationary 
d. The plates are sliding past each other 

 

 
2. What happens to the age of the ocean basin as you move from the middle 
of the Atlantic toward the African coastline? 
a. It gets older 
b. It gets younger 
c. Nothing 
d. It is the same age 

 

 

3. Which observation about the Mid-Atlantic Ridge region provides the best evidence 
that the seafloor has been spreading for millions of years? 
a. The bedrock of the ridge and nearby seafloor is igneous rock. 
b. The ridge is the location of irregular volcanic eruptions. 
c. Several faults cut across the ridge and nearby seafloor. 
d. Seafloor bedrock is younger near the ridge and older farther away. 

 

 
4. True or False: Ocean sea floors spread at a consistent rate over time? 
a. True 
b. False 

 

 
5. Sea floor spreading is measured using what scale? 
a. mm/yr 
b. m/yr 
c. km/yr 
d. mph 

 

4. Read the online textbook, chapter 10: 

1. What did you learn? 

Layers of the Earth 

  1. Crust – The thin outer layer made of rock (basalt, granite). 

  • Broken into plates (continental = thick, oceanic = thin). 

  1. Mantle – The thickest layer. 

  • Made of hot, flowing magma. 

  • Plates float on top of this layer. 

  1. Outer Core – Made of liquid iron and nickel. 

  • Creates Earth’s magnetic field. 

  1. Inner Core – Solid iron and nickel. 

  • So much pressure keeps it solid. 

 
Pangaea and Continental Drift 

  • Pangaea = all continents joined together 250 million years ago. 

  • Broke apart over time → continents drifted to where they are now. 

  • Alfred Wegener noticed continents fit like puzzle pieces and had similar fossils. 

  • He couldn’t explain how they moved → later explained by plate tectonics. 

 
 

Plate Tectonics 

  • Earth’s crust is broken into plates that move slowly (3–5 cm per year). 

  • Plates float on the hot mantle. 

  • Movement is caused by convection currents (heat rises, cools, sinks, repeats). 

 
 

Types of Plate Boundaries 

  1. Convergent (→←) 

  • Plates push together. 

  • Forms mountains, volcanoes, trenches. 

  1. Divergent (←→) 

  • Plates pull apart. 

  • Forms mid-ocean ridges or rift valleys. 

  1. Transform (⇆) 

  • Plates slide past each other. 

  • Causes earthquakes. 

 
 

Ring of Fire 

  • Around the Pacific Ocean. 

  • Lots of earthquakes and volcanoes happen here due to plate movement. 

 
 

Convection Cells 

  • Hot magma rises, cools near the crust, then sinks. 

  • This cycle moves the plates—Earth’s way of recycling itself. 


2. What was most helpful? 

The videos and the drawings helped explain each concept 

3. What do you need more information on? 

Nothing

6. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? N/A

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