Points to Consider
- On the map in Figure 3 above, the arrows show the directions that the plates are
going. The Atlantic has a mid-ocean ridge, where seafloor spreading is taking place.
The Pacific ocean has many deep sea trenches, where subduction is taking place. What
is the future of the Atlantic plate? What is the future of the Pacific plate? - Using your hands and words, explain to someone how plate tectonics works. Be sure
you describe how continents drift and how seafloor spreading provides a mechanism
for continental movement. - Now that you know about plate tectonics, where do you think would be a safe place
to live if you wanted to avoid volcanic eruptions and earthquakes?
Image Sources
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mount_Whitney_2003-03-25.jpg.
GNU-FDL.(2) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Quake_epicenters_1963-98.png.
GNU-FDL.(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Earthquake_wave_paths.gif. GNU-FDL.(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:
Oceanicoceanic_convergence_Fig21oceanocean.gif. Public Domain.(5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:
Cascade_Range-related_plate_tectonics.svg. GNU-FDL.(6) http://geo1091.tripod.com/. GNU-FDL.(7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Campo-iron-meteorite.jpg. GNU-FDL.(8) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Oceanic.Stripe.Magnetic.Anomalies.Scheme.gif. CC-BY-SA.(9) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Plates_tect2_en.svg. GNU-FDL.(10) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pacific_elevation.jpg. GNU-FDL.
(11) http://www.riverdell.k12.nj.us/staff/molnar/onotesch4.htm. GNU-FDL.
(12) USGS.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sanandreas.jpg. Public Domain.
(13) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Echo_Sounding_USN.jpg. GNU-FDL.
