Tectonic Plates + Scientific Method Flashcards
Hypothesis
A testable conjecture about how something works/relationship between variables. EX: “When ___ does this, ___ will do this”
Scientific Method
An objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes, or changes.
Variable
Any category, conditions, factors, or traits that differ in the natural world or experimental situations .
What would increase the reliability of an experiment?
Duplicating the experiment under ideal conditions and getting the same result.
Null hypothesis
A prediction that there is no difference between groups or conditions, or a statement or idea that can be falsified, or proven wrong.
Independent variable
What treatments you will apply/what you will change. Factors trying to study (manipulated).
Dependent variable
Data you will collect/ what you will measure
Constants
What will stay the same for all groups
What happens when two tectonic plates collide at a subduction zone
One plate is used beneath the other, and a trench is formed (or volanco).
Explain how subduction leads to volcanic activity
Step 1: One plate pushed beneath the other and melted
Step 2: Molten material/magma rises to the surface
Explain how a tsunami is generated at a subduction zone.
An earthquake occurs underwater (due to plate movement) and water is displaced rapidly.
Describe what happens to the tectonic plates along a transform boundary the moment when an earthquake occurs
A large amount of energy is released (or) plates suddenly/rapidly slide past each other in opposite directions
What happens to tectonic plates at transform boundaries between earthquakes?
Faults lock up/bind up, and pressure builds overtime
Hot spots are
Stationary. Island chains are formed as oceanic plates move across them (volcanic arcs formed on land with continental plates).
Collision zone
Area where two continental plates are pushed together and the colliding forces push up the crust to from a mountain range.
Earthquakes are common in
fault zones, which occur at transform boundaries
The ring of fire occurs at
the pacific plate
The mid-atlantic ocean ridge occurs at
the divergent boundary between both the North American and Eurasian plate and the South American and African plate
The Himalayan mountains occur at
the continental to continental convergent boundary between the Eurosian and Indonesian plate
The Great Rift Valley in Eastern Africa occurs at
The continental to continental divergent boundry between the Somali and Nubian (African) plate
The Andes mountains occur at
The converging continental to oceanic boundary (which creates a subduction zone) between the Nazca and South American plate.
The Mariana trench occurs at
The converging oceanic to oceanic boundary between the Phillipinic and Pacific plate.
The Red sea occurs at
The diverging oceanic to oceanic boundary between the African and Arabian plate
The San Andreas fault in California occurs at
The transform continental to continental boundary between the pacific and North American plate.
The Tonga trench occurs at
The convergent oceanic to oceanic boundary (causing a subduction zone) between the Pacific and Indo-Australian plate
The Queen Charlotte fault occurs at
The transform continental to oceanic boundary between the North American and Pacific plate
Which countries receive a lot of earthquake activity?
Haiti and Mexico. Aleutian Islands.
Haiti and Mexico receive what kind of activity?
Seismic activity - earthquakes
