Chapter 01 Exercise 1.1: Dynamic Earth

In this module, you will explore the inner depths of the Earth, the structure and processes that shape Earth’s surface from within. The module will enable you to explore the topic of tectonics introduced in Chapter One: The Home Planet. You will be able to visualize the Earth’s internal layers, the characteristics and movements of tectonic plates, as well as the resulting tectonic landforms. As you first encounter the interactive, notice the menu headings for each unit of the module. Click the link above to get started. Follow the red, underlined links and activity buttons from unit to unit as you complete the module.

Instructions: Follow the link to view the interactives. Then answer the questions below.

Spatial Visualization: Dynamic Earth


. What evidence was used by geologists to study the structure of the Earth's interior?

. What layer is made up of dense, hot, semisolid rock?

. What layer is made up of two different kinds of crust?

. What was NOT among the evidence cited by Alfred Wegener in his book, which later became the basis for the theory of plate tectonics?

. How long ago did the supercontinent Pangaea begin to split apart?

. What early landmass eventually became splintered into the South America-Africa landmass and the Antarctica-Australia landmass?

. Complete the "Continents Over Time" interactive. What is the most likely future tectonic configuration of the Earth's landmasses?

. Which of the following tectonic plates is entirely made up of oceanic crust?

. What is NOT one of the plates that shares a boundary with the Eurasian Plate?

. What type of boundary forms the Mid-Atlantic Ridge system?

. On the interactive Plate Boundary map, toggle between the three types of boundaries by clicking on the colored line symbol in the key. Analyze the patterns of location and relationships between the boundary types.

. What is NOT true about the processes at work in a convergent plate boundary?

. What term describes what occurs at divergent boundaries forming raised ridges and new oceanic crust?

. What is NOT true about transform plate boundaries?

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