5.6: Activity 5E - Plate Boundaries
- Page ID
- 14799
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Earthquakes are great indicators of plate boundaries and are associated with all three boundary types.
- The Wadati-Benioff zone is associated with which type of plate boundary?
- Divergent
- Convergent collision zone (Continent-Continent)
- Convergent subduction zone (Continent-Ocean or Ocean-Ocean)
- Transform
- Download the front portion of the The Dynamic Planet map from the USGS. Which of the following locations represent a Wadati-Benioff zone?
- 10°S, 110°W
- 0°, 0°
- 15°S, 180°
- 30°N, 75°E
- Open the browser version of Google Earth and type 34°46'16.2"N 118°44'58.2"W into the search bar. Zoom out to an eye altitude (camera) of 10 miles. This is Quail Lake, a dammed river that sits directly on top of the San Andreas Fault (SAF). The SAF is a well-known transform boundary with the North American Plate on the northern side and the Pacific Plate on the southern side. This boundary is running East-West in this area (dashed line in Figure 5.14). Zoom out more in Google Earth and you should be able to see it better.
- Examine the path of the waterway that feeds into and flows out of Quail Lake. What direction is the North American plate moving in comparison to the Pacific Plate at this location? Draw arrows indicating the motions on Figure 5.14.
- East
- West
- Given that San Francisco is located on the North American Plate and Los Angeles is located on the Pacific Plate, are these two cities getting closer together or farther apart over time?
- Closer
- Farther
- Type 41°47'22.68"N, 124°15'0.51"W into the Google Earth Search bar. What type of tectonic plates are present?
- Ocean-Ocean
- Ocean-Continent
- Continent-Continent
- What type of plate tectonic boundary is present?
- Transform
- Convergent, subduction zone
- Convergent, collision zone (continent-continent)
- Divergent
- What features would you expect to occur at this type of boundary?
- Volcanos, earthquakes and a trench
- Volcanoes and a linear valley
- Mountains and landslides
- Earthquakes and offset rivers
- Type 23°26’04”N, 108°29’25”W into the Google Earth Search bar. What type of process is going on at this location?
- Seafloor spreading
- Continental rifting
- Subduction
- What features would you expect to occur at this type of boundary?
- Earthquakes and a trench
- Submarine volcanic activity and earthquakes
- Mountains and landslides
- Earthquakes and offset rivers
- Type 27°58'42.06"N, 86°55'11.53"E into the Google Earth Search bar. What type of tectonic plates are present?
- Ocean-Ocean
- Ocean-Continent
- Continent-Continent
- What type of plate tectonic boundary is present?
- Transform
- Convergent, subduction zone
- Convergent, collision zone
- Divergent
- Type 43°29'9.14"N, 128° 7'27.37"W into the Google Earth Search bar. This is known as the Blanco Fracture Zone. What type of tectonic plates are present?
- Ocean-Ocean
- Ocean-Continent
- Continent-Continent
- What type of plate tectonic boundary does the Blanco Fracture Zone represent?
- Transform
- Convergent, subduction zone
- Convergent, collision zone
- Divergent
- This plate boundary isn’t as simple as the previous examples, meaning another nearby plate boundary directly influences it. Zoom out and examine the area, what other type of boundary is nearby?
- Divergent, continental rift
- Convergent, subduction zone
- Convergent, collision zone
- Divergent, mid-ocean ridge
Attributions
- Figure 5.2: “Fault” (CC-BY 4.0; Chloe Branciforte using Google Earth, own work)