PlateTectonicYellowstoneLabPDF
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Strayer University *
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200
Subject
Geology
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
3
Uploaded by bekkymorasco
Science 8-Module 2 Plate Tectonics Yellowstone Assignment (24pts)
Student Name:
Objective:
As you learned in the lesson reading, the Earth’s crust is constantly moving even if we can’t feel it.
The plate boundaries of the crust interact with one another by moving toward each other, away from one
another, or sliding past each other. In some cases, as the crust is moving, a plume of magma in the mantle rises
to the surface, creating a volcanic feature. This can happen in the ocean, creating chains of islands such as the
Hawaiian Islands, or under continents. In this activity, you will explore the movement of the North American
plate over the Yellowstone hotspot that helped create a trail of volcanic features spanning through the U.S.
states of Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. You will calculate the speed of crustal movement
from one volcanic feature to the next.
Table 1: Age Chart
Volcanic
Feature
Name (left
to right in
image)
McDermitt
Owyhee-
Humboldt
Bruneau-
Jarbidge
Twin Falls
Picabo
Heise
Yellowstone
Age
(years)
16,500,000
13,800,000
12,500,000
10,800,000
10,300,000
6,650,000
640,000
Plate Tectonics Yellowstone
Scale
1 centimeter = 40 kilometers
1.
Using the plastic ruler in your science kit, measure the distance between the volcanic features in centimeters
from one dot to the next. Then convert those ruler distances into real-life kilometers. Then you will convert the
real-life kilometers into real-life centimeters.
(9pts
–
0.5pt each box)
2.
Using the Age Chart on the first page, determine the difference in age between the two features in each row.
(3pts
–
0.5pt each box)
Table 3: Difference in Age
Volcanic Features
Difference in Age of the Two Features
McDermitt and Owyhee-Humboldt
Owyhee-Humboldt and Bruneau-Jarbidge
Bruneau-Jarbidge and Twin Falls
Twin Falls and Picabo
Picabo and Heise
Heise and Yellowstone
Volcanic
Features
Table 2: Distance Between the Two Features
Centimeters on
Map with ruler
Actual
Kilometers
(km)
Actual Centimeters (cm)
McDermitt and
Owyhee-
Humboldt
x 40
x 100,000
Owyhee-
Humboldt and
Bruneau-
Jarbidge
x 40
x 100,000
Bruneau-
Jarbidge and
Twin Falls
x 40
x 100,000
Twin Falls and
Picabo
x 40
x 100,000
Picabo and
Heise
x 40
x 100,000
Heise and
Yellowstone
x 40
x 100,000
3.
Using your data, calculate the speed of crustal movement of the North American Plate by the Yellowstone
hotspot during the time span of the creation of one feature to the next.
(3pts
–
0.5pt each box)
𝑺???? ?? ?????𝒂? 𝑴??????? =
????𝒂? ?𝒊??𝒂??? ??????? 𝑭?𝒂????? (??)
?𝒊???????? 𝒊? ??? (𝒚?𝒂??)
Table 4: Speed of Crustal Movement
Volcanic Features
Speed (cm/year)
McDermitt and Owyhee-Humboldt
Owyhee-Humboldt and Bruneau-Jarbidge
Bruneau-Jarbidge and Twin Falls
Twin Falls and Picabo
Picabo and Heise
Heise and Yellowstone
4.
Using your results to explain, does the North American Plate move at a constant speed?
(2pts)
5.
Using the blank chart below, fill in the differences in ages from largest age difference to smallest age difference
(Table 3); then put the corresponding crustal speed below them (Table 4) The first one has been done for you. Is
there a noticeable trend?
State this response in the box below.
(7pts
–
0.5pt each box and 2pt explanation)
Age
Differences
(years)
(Table 3)
6,010,000
Crustal Speed
(cm/year)
(Table 4)
1.6
When complete, please upload this document to the Plate Tectonics Assignment dropbox in Module 2.
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