Discovering Plate Tectonics Lab
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School
Colorado State University, Fort Collins *
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Course
121
Subject
Geology
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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GEOL 121
Name ______Christian Malloy_________________
Lab Section _______________
D
ISCOVERING
P
LATE
T
ECTONICS
Learning Objectives:
○
Summarize plate tectonics and demonstrate understanding of plate motions
○
Describe the features and processes found at different plate boundaries and
explain why they are found there
○
Developing geoscientific skills: analyzing/interpreting data; reading maps;
practicing quantitative skills; thinking in 3D
○
Understand that scientific inquiry is an ongoing/dynamic process; role of
evidence and technology in inquiry
Part 1: Expert analysis
(2pts.)
Geoscientists from different expertise areas will often collaborate to understand complex
problems. We are going to model this approach by having each of you become an expert on
one type of data. You will then share your understanding of that data with the rest of the group.
Instructions
:
Your TA will assign you one of the data sets listed below. Work with your expert group to
examine your dataset and answer the questions below.
Expert Groups (Circle Assigned Topic)
Seismology · Volcanology ·
Geochronology · Geography/Topography
1.
What is your data telling you? What do the symbols and colors mean?
The chart is showing me how old the tectonic plates are with red representing the newest
tectonic plates and blue showing the oldest plates.
2.
Compare your data to the Plate Boundary Map on the next page of this worksheet. Note any
differences or similarities.
The difference between the two charts is, one shows the boundaries of the tectonic plates
and one shows where the newest and oldest tectonic plates are located. The similarities of
the two charts are the newest tectonic plates are coming from the boundaries of the plates.
3.
How does your data act on or near plate boundaries? (Examples: narrow/straight/curved,
symmetric/asymmetric, deep/shallow, active/inactive, ridge/valley, etc)
The data acts on the plate boundaries are with the boundary’s matching with where the
newest plates are being formed.
Discovering Plate Tectonics
GEOL 121
Part 2: Examining Known Plate Boundaries
You will now examine sets of maps that show four different boundary types: divergent,
transform, convergent with subduction, and convergent without subduction. Answer the
following questions for each boundary type.
A) Divergent Boundaries (2pts.)
There are two pages showing divergent boundaries. One shows the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in
the center of the Atlantic Ocean. The other shows a comparison of mid-ocean ridges that are
spreading (creating new ocean crust) at different rates, to give you an idea of how different
divergent boundaries can appear.
1) Describe how each of the datasets (Seismology, Volcanology, Geochronology,
Geography/Topography) behaves at this plate boundary.
The datasets show how the Seismology map shows how they line up with the divergent
boundary’s and they are all low depth earth quakes
Volcanology: The map shows the volcanoes match the island’s that boarder the plate
boundary’s
Geochronology: shows how the age of the sea floor is splitting and going two direction on
top of the plate boundary’s
Topography: The topography shows the Hight goes up with the and then down along the
plate boundary
2) What are some distinguishing features at this type of plate boundary? What features
could you use to distinguish this boundary type from the others?
The features that you can use to distinguish the plate boundaries are the earth quakes,
volcanos and how new the sea floor are because they all match the boundary’s
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Discovering Plate Tectonics
GEOL 121
B) Transform Boundaries (2pts.)
There is one page showing a transform boundary along the western side of North America.
1) Describe how each of the datasets (Seismology, Volcanology, Geochronology,
Geography/Topography) behaves at this plate boundary.
The datasets show how the Seismology map shows how they line up with the transforming
boundary’s and they are all low depth earth quakes
Volcanology: The map shows the volcanoes match the boarder the plate boundary’s
Geochronology: shows how the age of the sea floor is moving west and going one direction
on top of the plate boundary
Topography: The topography shows the Hight goes up on the east side of the boundary with
the west side of the boundary going down./
2) What are some distinguishing features at this type of plate boundary? What features
could you use to distinguish this boundary type from the others?
Something that is distinguishing of the plate boundaries are the amount of earth quakes that
the transform plates produce and how the new sea floor is on one side of the plate with the
other being on the continent.
C) Convergent Boundary with Subduction (2pts.)
The datasets show how the
Seismology map shows how they line up with the divergent boundary’s and they are low
depth earthquakes and high up earthquakes.
Volcanology: The map shows the volcanoes match the island’s that boarder the plate
boundary’s
Geochronology: shows how the age of the sea floor is moving to the south and one
direction on top of the plate boundary
3
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Discovering Plate Tectonics
GEOL 121
Topography: The topography shows the Hight goes up with the and then down along the
plate boundary
1) Describe how each of the datasets (Seismology, Volcanology, Geochronology,
Geography/Topography) behaves at this plate boundary.
The dataset shows that the convergent boundary’s produce the most earth quakes and have
a good amount of volcanoes and make new sea floor.
2) What are some distinguishing features at this type of plate boundary? What features
could you use to distinguish this boundary type from the others?
Some distinguishing features of the plate boundary’s are the amount of earth quakes that
the plates create and how the sea floor subducts into the mountains they come in contact
with.
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Discovering Plate Tectonics
GEOL 121
D) Convergent Boundary without Subduction (2pts.)
There is one pages showing a convergent boundary where subduction is not taking place in
the Himalayan Mountains where India is colliding with Eurasia.
1) Describe how each of the datasets (Seismology, Volcanology, Geochronology,
Geography/Topography) behaves at this plate boundary.
The datasets show how the Seismology map shows how they line up with the divergent
boundary’s and they are low depth earthquakes and high up earthquakes.
Volcanology: The map shows the volcanoes match the island’s that boarder the plate
boundary’s
Geochronology: shows how the age of the sea floor is not moving with
Topography: The topography shows the Hight goes up with the and then down along the
plate boundary
2) What are some distinguishing features at this type of plate boundary? What features
could you use to distinguish this boundary type from the others?
Some distinguishing features of the plate boundary’s is the lack of new sea floor and the
lack of volcanic activity with the plate boundary also just going into another content plate
boundary.
Check in with your TA before proceeding to Part 3.
Part 3: Unknown Boundaries
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Discovering Plate Tectonics
GEOL 121
Now that you have developed a mental model of what each of the datasets does at different
plate boundary types, your challenge is to use the data to identify some unknown boundaries.
A) Unknown Boundary 1 (2pts.)
1) What type of boundary is there in this map?
I think it is divergent boundary’s with the same features as a divergent boundary.
2) How do you know? What is your evidence?
The evidence is with the data showing similar amount of sea floor activity, earth quakes and
volcanoes.
B) Unknown Boundary 2 (2pts.)
1) What type of boundary is there in this map?
I think it is Convergent plate boundary’s with subduction.
2) How do you know? What is your evidence?
The evidence I have is with the data showing that the plate has a lot of earth quakes and
similar amount of volcanoes as a convergent boundary with similar sea floor data.
6
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Discovering Plate Tectonics
GEOL 121
C) Unknown Boundary 3 (2pts.)
1) What type of boundary is there in this map?
The plate that I think the map is showing is a divergent boundary.
2) How do you know? What is your evidence?
The evidence is with how the new sea floor is being formed on both sides of the the Iland
and with the data showing similar amounts of earth quakes and volcanic activity on the
chart.
D) Unknown Boundary 4 (2pts.)
1) What types of boundaries is there in this map (there is more than one type)?
I think the map is showing a transform palate boundary’s
2) How do you know? What is your evidence?
The evidence that the plate is transforming is it has similar amount of earthquakes and show
how the sea floor is being made on one side showing simulates to the transforming data.
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Discovering Plate Tectonics
GEOL 121
Part 4: Reflection
(2pts.)
1) What are three things that you learned from this lab?
1.I learned how to I identify a Divergent, Transforming, and converging boundary.
2.I learned how volcanoes, earthquakes and the sea floor are related to the different types of
plates.
3.I learned how to read a data sheet on the different types of plates.
2) What questions do you still have about identifying plate boundaries?
The question I have is why there is no divergent plates on any continent.
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