The Ocean Floor And Plate Tectonics Worksheet

Some of the worksheets below are tectonic plates worksheets predicting tectonic activity definition of plate composition plate movement types of plate boundary continent continent collision hands on activities with colorful diagrams along with questions and answers at the end of each page.

The ocean floor and plate tectonics worksheet.

The subducting plate is bent downward to form a very deep depression in the ocean floor called a trench. Seafloor spreading is happening at b. Plate tectonics by combining the sea floor spreading theory with continental drift and information on global seismicity the new theory of plate tectonics became a coherent theory to explain crustal movements. Plates are composed of lithosphere about 100 km thick that float on the ductile asthenosphere.

Molten rock pushes up from the asthenosphere and pushes the plates apart at the mid ocean ridge. The theory of plate tectonics grew out of earlier hypotheses and observations collected during exploration of the rocks of the ocean floor. The growing plates inch away from the ridges widening ocean basins and rafting apart entire continents. Locations of earthquakes and volcanoes show the plate boundaries and ocean floor features.

These age data also allow the rate of seafloor spreading to be. Plate tectonics is the theory that explains how large pieces of the earth s outermost layer called tectonic plates move and change shape. Plate tectonics describes the distribution and motion of the plates. Sea floor spreading answer key.

What are the layers of the earth. Plate tectonics plate tectonics seafloor spreading. The mariana trench is 11 km deep. Bathymetry the shape of the ocean floor is largely a result of a process called plate tectonics the outer rocky layer of the earth includes about a dozen large sections called tectonic plates that are arranged like a spherical jig saw puzzle floating on top of the earth s hot flowing mantle.

This creates new ocean crust. Print ocean drilling as evidence for plate tectonics worksheet 1. What was the name of the project started in the 1960s that was designed to extract and analyze samples from the ocean floor. Plates come together.

Two pieces of evidence for plate tectonics. 2 introduction earth s lithosphere is divided into mobile plates. Spreading ridges and cools on and beneath the ocean floor adding to the plates on either side. This is a mid ocean ridge.

As upwelling of magma continues the plates continue to diverge a process known as seafloor spreading. It is an underwater mountain range that forms when magma pushes up on the crust at a divergent boundary. Trench systems occur for both continent ocean and ocean ocean boundaries the worlds deepest parts of the ocean are found along trenches. Plate tectonics and the ocean floor.