Week 10: Layers of Earth, Convection Cells, and Plate Tectonics

Week 10: Layers of Earth, Convection Cells, and Plate Tectonics 

1. What did you do in the lab today? 

In the lab, we shared our videos in groups and discussed how convection cells work using multiple examples. We then talked about the layers of the Earth, including the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. For example, the Earth's layers are like a hard-boiled egg or an apple. Next, we conducted a lab activity to learn about the three different types of plate boundaries. 

Divergent boundaries - When two plates are pulled apart.  

  • We see more of the whipped cream(mantle) when the rice cakes get pulled apart. 


Transform boundaries - When two plates slide past each other. 

  • The whipped cream (mantle) is pushed in whatever direction the plate pushes it. 



Convergent boundaries - Subduction: when 1 plate dives under another. The thinner one will go under the thicker one. 

  • The Graham cracker (oceanic crust) went under the rice cake (continental crust). 


    2. What was the big question?

    • What are the layers of the Earth?
    • What are the three types of plate boundaries? 

      3. What did you learn in Thursday's discussion? 

      • Yellowstone is a super volcanoe. It is powerful enough to destroy our continent. 
        • We have a massive super volcanoe. 
        • It was historically under Oregan, and has shifted from the plates moving. 
      • Under the crust its magma. 
      • Under the plates it soild. 
      • Ocean floors do not spread at a consistent rate over time. 
      • Geode Review: 
      • The longer something has time to cool, the bigger the crystals will become. 
        • The more time it gets the bigger crytsals. 
      • The material that is in there always has speicfic gravity that is equal to 2.7. If it is less than 2.7, how much less it is, is how hallow it is. 
        • Know that you can use science to know how hallow it is. 

        4. Read the online textbook chapter 10: 

        • What did you learn?
          • Pangaea - all of Earth's landmass was united in a single supercontinent. 
            • About 200 million years ago, the supercontinent began to break up into smaller pieces as the plates moved away from each other. 
          • Continental drift - explains why continents move over time. 
            • This theory was replaced by plate tectonics. 
          • Plate techonics - how the Earth's plates move
            • Heat rises from Earth's mantle and cools as it gets closer to the surface, from there it sinks down where it is reheated and the cycle repeats. This creates a current that moves the plates. 
            • Transform boundary - plate sideswipes each other
            • Divergent boundary - plates pull apart from each other
            • Convergent boundary - plates push into each other. 
          • Convection cells
            • Takes place in the mantle and is the driving force behind plate tectonics. 
          • What was most helpful? 
          The most helpful part was learning how convection currents work inside Earth’s mantle.  Understanding that process helped make sense of why the plates move. 
            • What do you need more information on?
            How scientists are able to measure or track the movement of tectonic plates today.
               5. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? 
              I don't have any questions. 


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