`

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Learning Module
in
EARTH SCIENCE

(Week 13)
 Learning Module in Earth Science

Name:_______________________________________ Grade Level: _____

LESSON 4
PLATE TECTONIC
Learning competency/ies:
• Explain how seafloor spreads
• Describe the structure and evolution of ocean basins
• Explain how the involvement of plates leads to the formation of folds,
faults, trenches, volcanoes, rift valleys, and mountain ranges
•

Objectives
➢

This lesson aims to:

• Describe the idea of seafloor spreading and the ocean structure it formed
• Differentiate the plate boundaries and the geological features it formed; and
• Appreciate the importance of plate tectonics in the formation of Earth
landscape.

Review
Activity 1
LABEL ME!
Directions: Label the
different layers of
the Earth and
describe each layer.
Give your
explanation of the
temperature and
pressure as you go
deeper in which
affects the
properties of each
layer.

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Description
1. Layer ____
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Description
2. Layer ____
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Description
3. Layer ____
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Description
4. Layer ____
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Describe the temperature and pressure as you go deeper in Earth interior

and explain how it affect the properties of each layer.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Pre-assessment
Multiple Choice: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which layer of Earth behaves in a plastic manner?

A. Asthenosphere C. Lithosphere
B. Crust D. Mantle
2. Which is not an evidence that support of the continental drift theory?
A. Similar Rocks C. Eroding mountains
B. Similar Fossils D. Matching coastlines

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3. Majority of the islands in the Philippines is a product of volcanism due

to _________.
A. Collision C. Rifting
B. Hot spot D. Subduction
4. What type of boundary that has a direction of two tectonic plates move
away from each other?
A. Transform C. Divergent
B. Convergent D. Passive margin
5. Who is the proponent of the seafloor spreading hypothesis?
A. Alfred Wegener C. Gregor Mendel
B. Harry Hess D. Albert Einstein

Introduction
The layers of earth and how they behave is an important concept for
you to learn before this lesson is introduced. It is in the characteristics of
each layer that enable the movement and reason of the driving force that
fuel the seafloor spreading and plate tectonic.
This lesson will discuss how seafloor spreads, the evolution of ocean
basins, and the plate tectonics. You will learn how movements of plates
contribute in the formation of the beautiful landscape of the Earth. You
will be fascinated on how the scientist discovers all this things that is
happening beneath and at the surface of the Earth.

Content
Who are the scientists involved in the seafloor spreading and plate
tectonic ideas?

Alfred Wegener evidence included the fit of the continents, the

distribution of ancient fossils, the placement of similar rocks and
structures on the opposite sides of oceans, and indicators of ancient
climate found in locations where those climates do not exist today.
Harry Hess thought about all of the unusual features of the seafloor.
And he found the mechanism to explain them all.

Seafloor Spreading

The Evidence Comes Together

World War II allowed scientists to make some puzzling observations. The

observations came from seafloor bathymetry and magnetism. These
observations are:

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• The seafloor has a large mountain range running through it.

• Deep trenches are found far from the ridges.
• Guyots have eroded tops that are deep below sea level.
• The magnetic polarity of the seafloor changes.
• The center of the ridge is of normal polarity.
• Stripes of normal and reverse polarity are found symmetrical on
both sides of the ridge.
• The youngest seafloor is at the ridge.
• The oldest is farthest from the ridge.
• The oldest seafloor is much younger than the oldest continent.

Scientists needed to explain these observations. After the war, Harry

Hess put together the ideas and evidence he needed. Hess resurrected
Wegener's continental drift hypothesis. He reviewed the mantle
convection idea. He thought about the bathymetric features and the
patterns of magnetic polarity on the seafloor. In 1962, Hess published a
new idea that he called seafloor spreading.

• Hot magma rises up into the rift valley at the mid-ocean ridges. The
lava cools to form new seafloor. Later more lava erupts at the ridge.
The new lava pushes the seafloor horizontally away from the ridge
axis. The seafloor moves!

The Mechanism for Continental Drift

Seafloor spreading is the mechanism that Wegener was looking for!

Convection currents within the mantle drive the continents. The
continents are pushed by oceanic crust, like they are on a conveyor belt.
Over millions of years the continents move around the planet’s surface.
The spreading plate takes along any continent that rides on it.

Lithospheric Plates

There are a dozen major and several minor plates. Each plate is

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named for the continent or ocean basin it contains. Some plates are
made of all oceanic lithosphere. A few are all continental lithosphere. But
most plates are made of a combination of both. Notice the locations
where the most earthquake epicenters are found.

Plates of lithosphere sink into the asthenosphere. The

asthenosphere, which is part of the upper mantle, is solid but can flow. If
a weight is added to a plate, like a glacier, the plate will sink into the
mantle. If the weight is taken away, like when the glacier melts, the plate
will rise. This happens slowly over long periods of time.

Tectonic Plate Motions

What is tectonics?

Dividing the lithosphere into plates is one thing. Having the plates move
around on the planet is another! A conveyor belt is a good analogy for
how a plate moves. How the plates move and where they move is the
"tectonics" part of plate tectonics.

How Plates Move

Scientists have determined the direction that each plate is moving (Figure
below). Plates move around the Earth’s surface at a rate of a few

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centimeters a year. This is about the same rate that fingernails grow.

Deeper material is hotter and so it rises. Near the surface, it becomes

cooler and denser so it sinks. This creates a convection cell in the
mantle.

Plates move for two reasons. Upwelling mantle at the mid-ocean ridge pushes plates
outward. Cold lithosphere sinking into the mantle at a subduction zone pulls the rest of
the plate down with it.

Convection within the Earth’s mantle causes the plates to move.

Mantle material is heated above the core. The hot mantle rises up toward
the surface. As the mantle rises, it cools. At the surface, the material
moves horizontally away from a mid-ocean ridge crest. The material
continues to cool. It sinks back down into the mantle at a deep sea
trench. The material sinks back down to the core. It moves horizontally
again, completing a convection cell.

Seafloor spreading takes place as plates move apart from each

other at a mid-ocean ridge. Mantle convection drives seafloor spreading.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

Plate Tectonics Theory

The theory of plate tectonics is what brings together continental drift and
seafloor spreading. Plates are made of lithosphere topped with oceanic
and/or continental crust. The plates are moved around on Earth's
surface by seafloor spreading. Convection in the mantle drives seafloor
spreading. Oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges. The crust moves
outward from the ridge over time. The crust may eventually sink into the
mantle and be destroyed. If a continent sits on a plate with a mid-ocean
ridge, the continent will be pushed along.

Plate Boundaries

Two plates meet at a plate boundary. There are three types of plate
boundaries since there are three ways that plates can meet. Plates can

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move away from each other. They can move toward each other. Finally,
they can slide past each other. The three types of plate boundaries are
divergent, convergent, and transform.

What The Theory Explains

The theory of plate tectonics explains most of the features of Earth’s

surface. It explains why earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain ranges are
where they are. It explains where to find some mineral resources. Plate
tectonics is the key that unlocks many of the mysteries of our amazing
planet. Plate tectonics theory explains why:

• Earth's geography has changed over time and continues to change

today.
• some places are prone to earthquakes while others are not.
• certain regions may have deadly, mild, or no volcanic eruptions.
• mountain ranges are located where they are.
• many ore deposits are located where they are.
• living and fossil species of plants and animals are found where
they are.
• some continental margins have a lot of geological activity, and
some have none.
• Plate tectonic motions affect Earth’s rock cycle, climate, and the
evolution of life.

Divergent Plate Boundaries in the Oceans

Plates move apart at a divergent plate boundary. This happens in the

a. Mid-ocean Ridges

In the oceans, plates move apart at mid-ocean ridges. Lava rises

upward, erupts, and cools. Later, more lava erupts and pushes the
original seafloor outward. This is seafloor spreading. Seafloor
spreading forms new oceanic crust. The rising magma causes the
ridge to be buoyant. This is why there is a mountain range running

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through the oceans. The plates pulling apart cause earthquakes.

b. Continental Rifting

A divergent plate boundary can also occur within a continent. This is

called continental rifting. Magma rises beneath the continent. The
crust thins, breaks, and then splits apart. This first produces a rift
valley. The East African Rift is a rift valley. Eastern Africa is splitting
away from the African continent. Eventually, as the continental crust
breaks apart, oceanic crust will form. This is how the Atlantic Ocean
formed when Pangaea broke up.

When plate divergence occurs on land, the continental crust rifts, or splits. This
effectively creates a new ocean basin as the pieces of the continent move apart.

Transform Plate Boundaries

Two plates may slide past each other in opposite directions. This is
called a transform plate boundary. The plates meet at a transform
fault. As you might imagine, plates do not slide past each other easily.
These plate boundaries experience massive earthquakes. The world’s
best known transform fault is the San Andreas Fault in California
(Figure below). At this fault, the Pacific and North American plates

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grind past each other. Transform plate boundaries are common as

offsets along mid-ocean ridges. They are very small compared to
transform faults on land.

The red line is the San Andreas Fault.

On the left is the Pacific Plate, which
is moving northeast. On the right is
the North American Plate, which is
moving southwest. The movement of
the plates is relative to each other.

Convergent Plate Boundaries

A convergent plate boundary forms where two plates collide. That

collision can happen between a continent and oceanic crust, between two
oceanic plates, or between two continents. Oceanic crust is always
destroyed in these collisions.

Ocean-Continent Convergence

Oceanic crust may collide with a continent. The oceanic plate is denser,
so it undergoes subduction. This means that the oceanic plate sinks
beneath the continent. This occurs at an ocean trench. Subduction zones
are where subduction takes place.

As you would expect, where plates collide there are lots of intense
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The subducting oceanic plate melts
as it reenters the mantle. The magma rises and erupts. This creates a
volcanic mountain range near the coast of the continent. This range is
called a continental arc.

Subduction of an oceanic plate beneath a continental plate forms a line of volcanoes

known as a continental arc and causes earthquakes.

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Ocean-Ocean Convergence

Two oceanic plates may collide. In this case, the older plate is denser.
This plate subducts beneath the younger plate. As the subducting plate
is pushed deeper into the mantle, it melts. The magma this creates rises
and erupts. This forms a line of volcanoes, known as an island arc.
Japan, Indonesia, the Philippine Islands, and the Aleutian Islands of
Alaska are examples of island arcs. The features of a subduction zone
where an oceanic plate subducts beneath another oceanic plate are the
same as a continent-ocean subduction zone. An ocean trench marks the
location where the plate is pushed down into the mantle. In this case, the
line of volcanoes that grows on the upper oceanic plate is an island arc.

A convergent plate boundary subduction zone between two plates of oceanic

lithosphere. Melting of the subducting plate causes volcanic activity and earthquakes.

Continent-Continent Convergence

Another type of convergent plate boundary is when two continental

plates collide. Continental lithosphere is low in density and very thick.
Continental lithosphere cannot subduct. So when two continental plates
collide, they just smash together. This is just like what happens if you
put your hands on two sides of a sheet of paper and bring your hands
together. The material has nowhere to go but up (Figure below)!
Earthquakes and metamorphic rocks result from the tremendous forces
of the collision. But the crust is too thick for magma to get through. As a
result, there are no volcanoes at continent-continent collision zones.

When two plates of continental crust collide, the material pushes upward. This forms a
high mountain range. The remnants of subducted oceanic crust remain beneath the
continental convergence zone.

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Mountain Building

Continent-continent convergence creates some of the world’s largest

mountains ranges. The Himalayas are the world's tallest mountains.
They are forming as two continents collide. The Appalachian Mountains
are the remnants of a larger mountain range. This range formed from
continent-continent collisions in the time of Pangaea.

Supercontinent Cycle and Pangaea

Is this Earth?

The existence of Wegener’s supercontinent Pangaea is completely

accepted by geologists today. The movements of continents explain so
much about the geological activity we see. But did it all begin with
Pangaea? Or were there other supercontinents that came before? What
does the future of the continents hold?

Pangaea

Wegener had lots of evidence for his continental drift hypothesis. One line
of evidence was the similarity of the mountains on the west and east
sides of the Atlantic. Those mountains rose at convergent plate
boundaries. The continents on both sides of the ocean (where the Atlantic
is now) smashed together to create Pangaea. The proto-Atlantic ocean
shrank as the Pacific Ocean grew.

Pangaea has been breaking apart since about 250 million years ago.
Divergent plate boundaries formed within the continents to cause them
to rift apart. The continents are still moving apart. The Pacific is
shrinking as the Atlantic is growing. The Appalachians (Figure below) are

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now on a passive margin. The mighty mountains have weathered and

eroded to what they are today.

The Supercontinent Cycle

Back before Pangaea, there were earlier supercontinents. Rodinia existed

750 million to 1.1 billion years ago. Columbia existed 1.5 to 1.8 billion
years ago. If the continents continue in their current directions, they will
come together to create a supercontinent on the other side of the planet
in around 200 million years.

This is known as the supercontinent cycle. The continents smash

together on opposite side of the planet around every 500 million years.
The creation of supercontinents is responsible for most of the geologic
features that we see. It is responsible for many features that are long
gone.

Self-Check Activities
Activity 2

LET ME THINK!
Directions: Answer the following questions base from your
understanding.

1. How does seafloor spreading move plates?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.

2. In what direction are the plates moving at a divergent plate boundary?

________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________.

3. Why are earthquakes at the San Andreas Fault so large?

________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________.

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Activity 3
PLATE TECTONICS AND THE RING OF FIRE

I. Objectives: Explain the relationship of the Pacific Ring of Fire to plate

tectonics, earthquakes, and formation of trenches and mountain ranges.

II. Materials:

Computer with internet access

Drawing and writing materials
III. Procedure
1. Describe what you know about plate tectonics, including what the
theory states and how plate movements affect geological events on
Earth’s surface. Are you aware of any areas on Earth that are particularly
affected by plate movements today?
2. Use the internet to research the geographic region known as the Ring
of fire.
3. Visit this website: www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim1.html. Look
at the animation of Earth’s plate history to see how the plates and
continennts moved into their current positions over hundreds of millions
of years.
4. Draw maps predicting what the Ring of Fire might look like one
hundred million years from now. Your maps should show continents,
plate divisions, and some of the geological features such as mountains
and oceans trenches associated with plate tectonics. Write one or two
paragraphs explaining what they have drawn in their maps.

IV. Guide Questions

1. Where is the Ring of Fire located?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
2. Why is it called the Ring of Fire?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
3. What does the Ring of Fire have to do with plate tectonics?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
4. What events on the Earth’s surface tend to occur in this region more
frequently than in other regions of the Earth? Why do they occur here?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
5. What do trenches and mountain ranges have to do with the Ring of
Fire and plate tectonics?
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.

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V. Illustration:

VI. Conclusion

Key Concepts
• Seafloor spreading is a mixture different ideas and data. Continental drift
and mantle convection are supported by bathymetric and magnetic data
from the seafloor.
• The theory of plate tectonics brings together continental drift and seafloor
spreading.
• At a plate boundary, two plates can be moving apart, together or past each
other.
• Plate tectonics theory explains many things in geology, such as where
volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain ranges, ore deposits, and other features
are located.

•
Evaluation
•
Essay: Answer the questions concisely.

1. How does the idea of Plate tectonic developed from continental drift
and sea floor spreading hypothesis?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.

2. Enumerate two evidences that support the Plate tectonic and explain
how the evidence supports the idea.

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________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.

3. What are the different plate boundaries? Describe the movements and
give the geological features formed.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. How will you relate the Philippines earthquake and volcanic eruption
to its location and plate boundaries?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. How important is convection current and geologic activities in shaping

the earth’s landscape?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Enrichment Activities
Activity 3

TAKE A LOOK AT THE PHILIPPINES!

Directions: Examine the picture below that shows the plate tectonic and
boundaries the Philippines have. Answer the questions that follow.

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Questions:

1. Recently Mindanao had been experiencing earthquake. Its devastation

affected the daily life of people and its aftermath destroys infrastructure
and houses. Looking at the picture above, why is the Philippines always
experiencing earthquake?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Another calamity that recently affects our country is the eruption of
Taal volcanoes. There are several volcanoes situated in our country and
mostly are active volcanoes with explosive eruption record. Why our
country has a lot of volcanoes? Explain it based on the picture above.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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3. What is Ring of Fire? What are the countries in the Ring of Fire? Why
Philippines included in the Ring of Fire?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the events that usually occur in countries near the Ring of
Fire? Give 3 specific events that had happened in the past five years in
these areas that are related to its location the Ring of Fire?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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