Name______Date______Period______

Activity 44 – Mapping Plates

Objective: Students will be able to map the location of Earth’s tectonic plates.

Procedure:

1.)Use a light-colored pencil to color in the continents on Student Sheet 44.2 “Plate Boundaries”

2.)Use a dark-colored marker to trace the dashed plate boundary lines on Student Sheet 44.2.

3.)The dark lines show the major plates. But if you look carefully, you will notice that the boundaries of the South American plate are missing!

4.)To find the missing eastern boundary of the South American plate, plot the locations of the earthquakes and volcanoes listed in Table 1, below, on Student Sheet 44.2

Table 1

Name and Location / More information / Location on Map
Earthquake in northern Atlantic Ocean / Occurred on 6/12/01
Magnitude 5.4 / 13 J
Earthquake in northern Atlantic Ocean / Occurred on 4/14/02
Magnitude 5.1 / 13 K
Earthquake in northern Atlantic Ocean / Occurred on 7/31/02
Magnitude 5.4 / 14 K
Earthquake in the Atlantic Ocean / Occurred 9/17/05
Magnitude 4.8 / 15 L
Underwater volcano in southern Atlantic Ocean / Last known eruption 1836 / 16 L
Earthquake in southern Atlantic Ocean / Occurred 3/7/01
Magnitude 6.0 / 16.5 L/M *
Ascension Island (volcano) / Summit of a strato volcano; no recent eruptions / 16 M
Earthquake in southern Atlantic Ocean / Occurred on 8/4/00
Magnitude 5.5 / 16 O
Tristan da Cunha island volcano / Shield volcano
Erupted 2004 / 16 P
Bouvet Island volcano / Erupted 50 B.C. / 17 R

* Between 16 and 17, and between L and M

5.) Complete the missing eastern boundary by using a dark colored marker to draw a line connecting the earthquakes and volcanoes you have plotted. HINT: Work from top to bottom.

6.)Now find the missing western boundary of the South American plate, plot the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes listed in the table below.

Table 2

Name and Location / More Information / Location on Map
Nevado del Ruiz volcano / Composite volcano
Last eruption 1991 / 10 K
El Misti volcano / Composite volcano
Last eruption 1874 / 9.5 M *
Earthquake in Atacama region / Occurred in 1922
Magnitude 8.5 / 10.5 N **
Cerro Azul volcano / Composite volcano
Last eruption 1967 / 10 O
Earthquake in Valdivia / Occurred in 1960
Magnitude 9.5 / 10 P
Villarrica volcano / Composite volcano
Last eruption 2005 / 10 Q
Monte Burney volcano / Composite volcano
Last eruption 1910 / 10 R

* Between 9 and 10

** Between 10 and 11

7.)Complete the messing western boundary using a dark colored marker to draw a line connecting the earthquakes and volcanoes you have plotted. Hint: Work from the top to the bottom and left to right.

8.)Discuss with your partner how the shapes of the continents compare with the shapes of the plate. Write two sentences below about your discussion.

9.)Use the table below to help you label some of the plates with their proper name.

10.)Use the table below to draw an arrow on each of these plates showing the general direction of its movement.

Table 3

Name of plate / General Direction of Movement
African / Northeast
Antarctic / Southeast
Australian / Northeast
Eurasian / East
Indian / Northeast
North American / West
Pacific / Northwest
South American / Northwest

Analysis Questions

Directions: Answer the following questions using complete sentences.

1.)Are the sizes and shapes of the continents the same as the sizes and shapes of the plates? Support your answer with a specific example from your map.

2.)Look again at Table 2. In terms of geologic time, would you consider these volcanoes and earthquakes have occurred recently or a long time ago? Explain.

3.)What is the relationship between earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate boundaries?

4.)In Activity 40, “The Continent Puzzle,” the country of India was a separate puzzle piece. Use the information on your map to help explain why it was a separate piece.