ACTIVITY NO.

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NAME: ________________________________________________GRADE & SECTION: _______________________SCORE:___________

Plate Tectonics
Scientists believe that the continents formed from lava flowing to the earth’s surface from the planet’s molten core. Once at the surface, the
lava solidified into a crust, which broke into sediments under the stress of weathering. These sediments formed, broke down, and reformed
numerous times, affected by hot gases rising from the earth’s interior. Once hardened, the remaining sedimentary plateaus became the
continents, which now cover about 30 percent of the earth’s surface.
The Continental Drift Theory
 A theory that explained how continents shift position on the Earth’s surface.
 Proposed by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist in 1912.
 Wegener suggested that a single supercontinent consisting of all Earth’s
landmasses once existed. He named this giant landmass Pangaea (pronounced as
Pan-jee-ah, meaning “all lands”)
 Wegener further hypothesized that about 200 million Years ago, this
supercontinent began to fragment into small landmasses.
 These continental blocks then drifted to their present positions over a span of
millions of years.
 Continental drift also explained why look-alike animals and plants fossils and similar rock formation are found on different continents.
 Scientists of the early 20th ce ntury found evidence of continental drift.
 Geologists found rocks of the same age and type on opposite sides of the ocean, fossils of similar animals and plants, and similar
ancient climate indicators

Tectonic plates
 Tectonic plates are made of either oceanic or continental crust and the very
top part of the mantle. This crust and upper mantle form what is called the
lithosphere.
 The lithosphere is composed of about two dozen irregular sizes and shapes of
tectonic plates.
 Under the lithosphere lies a fluid rock layer called the asthenosphere.
 The rocks in the asthenosphere move in a fluid manner because of the high
temperatures and pressures found there.
 Tectonic plates are able to float upon the fluid asthenosphere because they are
made of rigid lithosphere.

Types of Plate Boundaries

1. Convergent (collisional) Boundaries- are where plates meet. Crust is destroyed
when plates move toward each other. The heavier plate dives beneath the
lighter plate.
A. Oceanic-Continental Convergence
B. Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence
C. Continental-Continental Convergence

2. Divergent Boundaries- are where the plates move away. When plates move apart, there is
upwelling of magma from the hot mantle below. As magma cools, new seafloor is created called
“seafloor spreading”. For most part, these boundaries are located on the ocean floors, where they
form a continuous chain of volcanic mountains and rift called mid-ocean ridges that extend
throughout the earth’s oceans.
3. Transform Boundaries- are where the plates slide horizontally past one another. Most
transform faults occur within the ocean and few are found in continental drift. They are generally
defined by shallow earthquakes.
 Activity 5

DIRECTION: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. REFER TO THE DIAGRAM FOR YOUR ANSWERS.

1. What type of plate boundary is found between;

A. South American and African Plate
B. Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate
C. Cocos Plate and Caribbean
D. Australian and Antarctic Plate
E. North American Plate and Eurasian Plate
F. Pacific Plate and North American Plate
2. In what tectonic plate/s is Philippines found?