How the earth was formed?

Map of the World Looking at the map of the world above, do you think the continents could have ever been connected? How the Earth was Formed? Alfred Wegener •Wegener’s theory of continental drift explained why some land masses fit like puzzle pieces•a German scientist, first had the idea that continents can drift around the globe•idea was that all of the Earth's continents were once joined together in a super continent called Pangaea Two Types of Crust Continental Crust land masses less dense granite Oceanic Crust oceans and water more dense basalt The Earth’s crust is broken into pieces called tectonic plates. Plate Movements Earth’s rigid crust is made up of 16 enormous pieces called tectonic plates. These plates vary in size and shape. They also vary in the amount they move over the more flexible layer of the mantle below them. Heat from deep within the planet causes plates to move. This movement happens so slowly that humans do not feel it. But some of Earth’s plates move as much as a few inches each year. This might not seem like much, but over millions of years, it causes the plates to move thousands of miles.Movement of surface plates changes Earth’s surface features very slowly. It takes millions of years for plates to move enough to create landforms. Some land features form when plates are crushed together. At times, forces within Earth push the edge of one plate up over the edge of a plate beside it. This dramatic movement can create mountains, volcanoes, and deep trenches in the ocean floor.At other times, plates are crushed together in a way that causes the edges of both plates to crumble and break. This event can form jagged mountain ranges. If plates on the ocean floor move apart, the space between them widens into a giant crack in Earth’s crust. Magma rises through the crack and forms new crust as it hardens and cools. If enough cooled magma builds up that it reaches the surface of the ocean, an island will begin to form. Describe in your own words how convection works. What layer of Earth are convection currents found? crust lithosphere asthenosphere core •Geological process that takes place at convergent boundaries of tectonic plates where one plate moves under another and is forced or sinks due to gravity into the mantle. Match. convergent collide or converge divergent pull apart of diverge transform slide past Convergent boundary is when two plates do what? come together pull apart slide past each other What forms when two continental plates come together? Which is more dense? oceanic plate continental plate What forms when an oceanic plate and a continental plate come together? Divergent boundary is when two plates do what? come together pull apart slide past each other What happens to magma when it reaches the Earth's surface? Transform boundary is when two plates do what? come together pull apart side past each other What provides evidence that our plates are moving? ocean basin depressed portion of the ocean plate boundaries where two plates meet mountain building formed at convergent boundaries Sudden Changes Change to Earth’s surface also can happen quickly. Events such as earthquakes and volcanoes can destroy entire areas within minutes. Earthquakes and volcanoes are caused by plate movement. When two plates grind against each other, faults form. Afaultresults when the rocks on one side or both sides of a crack in Earth’s crust have been moved by forces within Earth.Earthquakesare caused by plate movement along fault lines. Earthquakes also can be caused by the force of erupting volcanoes.Various plates lie at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. These include the huge Pacific Plate along with several smaller plates. Over time, the edges of these plates were forced under the edges of the plates surrounding the Pacific Ocean. This plate movement created a long, narrow band of volcanoes called theRing of Fire. The Ring of Fire stretches for more than 24,000 miles (38,624 km) around the Pacific Ocean.Theintensevibrations caused by earthquakes and erupting volcanoes can transfer energy to Earth’s surface. When this energy travels through ocean waters, it can cause enormous waves to form on the water’s surface. Atsunamiis a giant ocean wave caused by volcanic eruptions or movement of the earth under the ocean floor. Tsunamis have caused terrible flooding and damage to coastal areas. The forces of these mighty waves can level entire coastlines. They can affect all aspects of human life, including where people live. When homes and businesses are destroyed, the economic health of a region is affected.Determining Central Ideas Earth’s surface plates are moving. Why don’t we feel the ground moving under us?