Plate Boundaries & Seismic Patterns

[!] STUDY GUIDE: Big Ideas Use to answer form questions

1.Plates rest on the asthenosphere (plastic solid, not liquid); convection drives movement. Students often think plates float on liquid magma like boats on water, but evidence from investigations shows otherwise. Use data from today's stations to identify which observations best support this understanding.

2.Plates move 1-10 cm/year (fingernail growth rate); changes visible over millions of years. Students often think continents move fast enough to notice, but evidence from investigations shows otherwise. Use data from today's stations to identify which observations best support this understanding.

3.Earthquakes cluster at plate boundaries where stress accumulates. Students often think earthquakes happen randomly across Earth, but evidence from investigations shows otherwise. Use data from today's stations to identify which observations best support this understanding.

DRAW KEY TERMS Google each → Images tab → sketch what you see

OTHER VOCAB: Convection · Plate Boundary · Convergent · Divergent · Transform · Earthquake · Volcano

Mantle

Thick layer of hot rock between Earth's crust and core

Asthenosphere

Partially molten layer beneath the lithosphere that allows plates to move

Lithosphere

Rigid outer layer of Earth including crust and upper mantle

Convection Cell

Circular movement of material: hot rises, cools, sinks, heats, repeats

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION Your initial thinking

Looking at a global earthquake map, earthquakes cluster along specific lines—the "Ring of Fire" around the Pacific, a line through the Mediterranean, and a zigzag pattern down the Atlantic. These aren't random. They reveal something hidden beneath Earth's surface.

Why do earthquakes happen in the same places over and over?

I think...

WRITE AFTER HOOK FORM Reflect before continuing

I learned that...

Station 1 — Convection & Plate Movement

I observed that...

This shows that...

The key concept is...

Station 2 — Plate Boundary Analysis

The data shows...

This connects to...

The main idea is...

This connects to what we learned because...

I can apply this by...

DRAW CONCEPT MODEL Show your understanding visually

Draw a model showing convection in the mantle driving plate movement. Label the core, mantle, lithosphere, and direction of movement.

Labels included

Relationships shown

Key terms used

CHECK TEST YOUR THINKING Rate each: FALSE ← 1–2–3–4–5 → TRUE

1. Tectonic plates float on top of a giant layer of fast-moving liquid magma.

2. The heat that drives convection in Earth's mantle and moves tectonic plates comes from the Sun.

3. Tectonic plates move very quickly (several meters each day), which is why we have sudden earthquakes.

4. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur randomly all over Earth's surface instead of following specific patterns.

5. Volcanoes often form parallel to convergent boundaries because one plate subducts, melts, and creates rising magma.

Pick any TWO statements — especially any you rated 2, 3, or 4. Justify your rating with evidence:

Statement #___ — I rated it ___ because:

THINK SCIENTIST CIRCLE DEBRIEF Reflect after your Scientist Circle discussion

AHA! Moment

The one I changed my thinking most about is...

Remaining Question

I still wonder...

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION REVISIT Final written response

Why do earthquakes happen in the same places over and over?

Word Bank: mantle · lithosphere · asthenosphere · convection cell · tectonic plate · plate boundary · earthquake