Name______

Patterns of Crustal Activity

INTRODUCTION:Studies of diastrophism have shown that crustal activities are occurring world-wide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges do not occur randomly. There are special zones in which they occur. In this lab you will look for the relationships between the locations of these crustal activities.

OBJECTIVE:You will plot the areas in which earthquakes and volcanoes occur most frequently, the depths at which they happen and identify other crustal activities that appear related to these zones. You will then analyze your maps to discover the worldwide pattern of earthquake and volcano distribution.

MATERIALS: ESRT page 5, 3 pencils (brown, red, green), Namowitz Textbook.

PROCEDURE

Part 1

  1. On your World-Wide Crustal Activity Map label the Equator, Prime Meridian and International Dateline. Label the North, South, East and West hemispheres of the map.
  1. Using the information from the Locations Chart: Earthquakes, put a green dot on the map at the location of the first earthquake and label it E1.

Locations Chart EARTHQUAKES
Latitude / Longitude
1 / 40ºN / 120ºW
2 / 5ºS / 119ºW
3 / 4ºS / 77ºW
4 / 23ºN / 88ºE
5 / 14ºS / 121ºW
6 / 7ºN / 35ºE
7 / 44ºN / 74ºW
8 / 30ºS / 70ºW
9 / 45ºN / 10ºE
10 / 13ºN / 85ºW
11 / 23ºN / 125ºE
12 / 35ºN / 30ºE
13 / 35ºN / 140ºE
14 / 46ºN / 12ºE
15 / 28ºN / 75ºE
  1. On the Data Table place an X in the box to represent the type of boundary the earthquake is on. Write the names of the two plates that are interacting at this location.

Locations Chart VOLCANOES
Latitude / Longitude
1 / 60ºN / 150ºW
2 / 35ºS / 70ºW
3 / 45ºN / 120ºW
4 / 15ºN / 61ºW
5 / 20ºN / 105ºW
6 / 0º / 75ºW
7 / 40ºN / 122ºW
8 / 40ºN / 30ºE
9 / 30ºN / 60ºE
10 / 55ºN / 160ºE
11 / 3ºS / 37ºE
12 / 40ºN / 145ºE
13 / 10ºS / 120ºE
14 / 41ºN / 14ºE
15 / 5ºS / 105ºE
  1. Repeat this process for the next earthquake until all have been plotted.
  1. Use the information from the Locations Chart: Volcanoes, put a red dot on the map at the location of the first volcano and label it V1.
  1. On the Data Table place an X in the box to represent the type of boundary the volcano is on. Write the names of the two plates that are interacting at this location.
  1. Repeat this process for the next volcano until all have been plotted.
  1. Using the map on pages 656 & 657 of the Namowitz Textbook as a reference, sketch the following mountain ranges in brown: Atlas, Rockies, Andes, Alps, Appalachians, Himalayas, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Mid-Ocean Ridge, Hawaiian Ridge.
  1. Lightly shade the areas in which earthquakes and volcanoes are found, use the same colors that you used when you plotted the earthquakes and volcanoes.

Part 2

  1. On the Selected Epicenter Locations of South America Map provided, draw a cross-sectional line along line AB on your map of South America to show the depth of earthquake foci.
  1. After plotting the depth of earthquake foci connect them with a smooth line.

  1. On your cross section, copy the arrows that show the direction the crustal plates are moving.

0 / Cross-Section of South America
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500

AB

DATA TABLE

EARTHQUAKES
EQ# / DIVERGENT / CONVERGENT / TRANSFORM / MID-PLATE (HOTSPOT) / PLATES
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
E6
E7
E8
E9
E10
VOLCANOES
EQ# / DIVERGENT / CONVERGENT / TRANSFORM / MID-PLATE (HOTSPOT) / PLATES
V1
V2
V3
V4
V5
V6
V7
V8
V9
V10

QUESTIONS:

1. Describe the pattern of earthquakes on your map.

2. How are the locations of earthquakes, mountain ranges, and volcanic activity related?

3. What regions of North and South America show the greatest crustal activity?

4. According to your map, what is the probability of having either a major earthquake shake your house or of having a volcano pop up in your backyard?

5. What type of boundary are the majority of earthquakes along? Volcanoes?

6. Why is the perimeter around the Pacific Ocean referred to as the “Ring of Fire”?

7. Using your cross-section of South America, describe the pattern of earthquake depth from west to east along line AB.

8. What surface feature on the west coast of South America has apparently formed as a result of the collision of the two crustal plates?

CONCLUSION: Compare the pattern of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges on the earth.

REGENTS QUESTIONS

WORLD-WIDE CRUSTAL ACTIVITY MAP