S.

Mathison

Grade 10
 Lesson 1 -Objectives
• Describe the structure of the earth.
• Explain the theory of plate tectonics.
• Identify the global distribution of plate margins on a map of the world.
• Locate and name the Caribbean and adjacent plates on a blank map of the
Caribbean.

Slides 1 –22.
Key terms – copy & define terms in your notebook

• Sima Convergent Margin

• Sial Divergent Margin
• Asthenosphere Transform Margin
• Crustal plates Rift valley
• Convection currents Ocean ridge
• Fossil Continental drift
Structure of the Earth
 Structure of the Earth

• The earth consist of three concentric layers: the core , mantle and the crust.
• The inner most layer, the inner core is approx. 3500km in radius and is divided into an
inner and outer layer. The inner core is a solid metal, the outer core is molten rocks
consisting mainly of iron and nickel. The core has the highest density.
• The mantle is 2900km thick, is a mixture of rocks in solid and molten state and is rich in
iron and magnesium. The mantle takes up the greatest volume. Beneath the crust and
upper mantle is a semi- molten layer called the asthenosphere.
• The crust is the thin outer layer which include both dry land and the ocean floor. The crust
beneath the continents is called the continental crust (light granitic rocks)
• The crust beneath the ocean is called the oceanic crust ( dark/ dense basaltic rocks )
• N.B. - The uppermost part of the mantle and the crust together form a rigid layer called the
lithosphere. The lithosphere floats on top of the asthenosphere
The structure of the earth - copy diagram in your notebook

Crust

Fe & Mg
Fe & Ni
 The Crust
Continental and oceanic crust differ in
terms of their density and composition .

The continental crust is composed

mainly of less dense, light coloured
granitic rocks high in silica and
aluminium (SIAL)
The oceanic crust is composed mainly of
dense dark coloured basaltic rocks, high
in silica and magnesium(SIMA).
 Activity
1. Identify the layers lettered A – D shown on the photograph below.

A
 How much have I learnt ?
1. Name the three concentric layers of the earth.
2. The layer beneath the crust and the upper mantle is called ……………
3. The ________ has the highest density.
4. Which metals are found in the mantle ?
5. Which metals are found in the core ?
6. The _____ has the greatest volume.
7. The uppermost part of the mantle and the crust forms the _______________
8. The continental crust is made up of light granitic rocks rich in _____&_____called______
9. The oceanic crust is made up of dense basaltic rocks rich in _______& _____ called _______
10. The lithosphere floats on top of the ________________________.
 Why plates move ?

Plate move by convection currents

CONVECTION CURRENTS IS THE FLOW THAT TRANSFER HEAT
WITHIN A LIQUID OR GAS.
• Heat transfer by convection is caused by differences of
temperature and density within the fluid.
• Explore : place a pot of soup on the stove . The soup at the bottom of the pot
gets hot, it expands and therefore becomes less dense . The warm, less dense
soup moves upwards and floats over the cooler more dense soup. At the
surface, the warm soup spread out and cools becoming denser. Gravity then
pulls this cooler denser soup back down to the bottom of the pot where it is
heated again. A constant flow of heat begins as the cooler fluid sinks to the
bottom of the pot and the warmer soup rises to the surface.
Why plates move ?
 Why plates move ?

• Read chapter 1 Geography for CSEC page 7 and

make notes in your notes book- explain in your
own words how plates move.
• Convection currents is the transmission of heat from one part of a
liquid or gas to another by the movement of the particles themselves.
• When the lower portion of a mass of fluid is heated it expands, it’s
density is reduced and it rises carrying heat with it.
• The heat in the mantle and core causes the molten rocks to rise. As
they reach the crustal plate, they expand and spread out and become
less dense. The hot less dense molten rocks moves upward and
floats over the cooler rocks . The cooler material sinks back in the
Explain
mantle. Over and: Convection
over, the cycle currents
of rising and sinking takes place.
 Theory of Continental drift
• Alfred Wegener German scientist 1910- 1915 formed a hypothesis that earths
continents had moved. He believed that all the present continents were initially
one supercontinent called PANGAEA( meaning ‘ all land’). Surrounded by a
large ocean called Panthalassa.
• He theorized that the continents have drifted apart over tens of millions of years
due to earth movement – continental drift .
• The earth separated forming a southern land mass known as Gondwanaland and
the northern land mass known as Laurasia with the Atlantic ocean in between.
• The continents further drifted apart  to their present position.  
Continents moved
 Several types of evidence supported his theory
From Landforms :
 The west coast of Africa fitting closely with the east coast of South America.
 European coal fields match up with similar coal fields in North America.
 Rocks of the same age and geological structure formed in southwest Africa and south east Brazil.
From Fossils :
 The matching fossil reptiles in Africa and South America.
 The presence of an identical fossil ferns in all Southern continents.
From Climate
 The presence of coal, formed in warmed ,wet conditions found in the Antarctic ice cap.
 Common species of plants and animals located on different continent(S.A./Africa)
 Global distribution of plate boundaries
• There are seven very large crustal Smaller plates include
plates – Pacific / North American/ • Caribbean Plate
South American/ Eurasian/ Indo –
Australian/ African /Antarctic • Nazca Plate (oceanic)
N.B. most earthquakes and volcanoes • Cocos Plate ( oceanic)
are on or close to plate boundaries.
Global distribution of plate boundaries
Caribbean and adjacent plate boundaries
 Class Activity
• Label the Caribbean and adjacent plates lettered B/C/D/E/F/G
•
 Homework- graded assignment
• Use a blank sheet of paper and draw the Caribbean and adjacent plates page
and put on the plate boundaries (use all resources available to assist you).
 Text book – Geography for CSEC page 13 (old edition )
 Slide 21 on PPT (check textbook for plate boundaries)
 Internet
 Did I learn ??
Read content from your textbook
 Lesson 2 -Objectives
• Describe how heat is transferred & Identify and explain the
three types of heat transfer
• Distinguish among convergent, divergent and transform
margins.
• Name and explain the formation of landforms at
convergent/divergent margins.
Slides 25 - 49
 Heat cause motion in liquid
• Heat is always transferred from a warmer substance to a cooler substance.
• Explore : Holding an ice cube will make your hand begin to feel cold in a few
seconds and after a few mins. the cube will move. Since cold is the absence of
heat, it’s the heat in your hand that moves the ice cube.
• HEAT IS TRANFERRED IN THREE WAYS :
• RADIATION
• CONDUCTION AND
• CONVECTION CURRENTS.
 Radiation
• The transfer of heat through empty space is called
radiation.
• Sunlight is radiation that warms the Earth’s surface.
• Radiation takes place with no direct contact between a heat
source and an object.
• Other forms of familiar radiation include the heat felt around a
flame or open fire.
 Conduction
• Conduction is heat transfer by direct contact.

Explore : If a spoon is placed in a pot of water. Heat is

transferred from the hot water to the spoon. Heat is transferred
from the bottom of the spoon and gradually the entire spoon heats
up.When your hand touches the spoon, conduction transfer heat
from the spoon directly to you skin….. Then you feel the heat.
 Convection currents
• Convection currents is the transmission of heat from one part of a
liquid or gas to another by the movement of the particles themselves.
• When the lower portion of a mass of fluid is heated it expands, it’s
density is reduced and it rises carrying heat with it.
• The heat in the mantle and core causes the molten rocks to rise. As
they reach the crustal plate, they expand and spread out and become
less dense. The hot less dense molten rocks moves upward and
floats over the cooler rocks . The cooler material sinks back in the
mantle. Over and over, the cycle of rising and sinking takes place.
 Review

• Name the three types of heat transfer?

• Describe how heat is transferred in each type
• In general, what happens to the density of a
fluid when it becomes hotter ?
 Plate tectonics
• Plate tectonics – refer to crustal movement of plates on the Earth’s
surface.
• Crustal plates are great slabs of rocks that make up the lithosphere.
• A tectonic plate is therefore a rigid shell of the crust, they carry and
support the continents and form the ocean floor.
• The movement behaviour of these plates is called plates tectonics.
• The earth’s crust is divided into seven major tectonic plates and several
minor plates.
Plate Movement

Plates move at different speed,

approx. 7cm every year. Depending
on how crustal plates move relative
to each other, three boundaries are
formed
• Convergent
• Divergent
• Transform.
 Convergent / Destructive margin
• Occurs where a continental plate meet an
oceanic plate.
• The oceanic crust is denser than the continental
crust , it will be drawn downwards into the mantle
where it melts due to the intense heat in the mantle-
this is called the zone of subduction. Features
formed at a subduction zone are :
• Volcanoes
• Island arcs
• Deep sea trenches.
• Earthquakes
• Fold mountains
Subduction Zone
 Classwork - Activity
• Draw and label the diagram below (identify the features shown at A/ B/ C/D )
( subduction zone/ ocean/ oceanic crust and continental crust)

C
B A

D
 Volcanoes

Volcanoes – When the two plates

collide, the denser oceanic plate will be
drawn downwards into the mantle where
it melts due to the intense heat to form
new magma as it descends to great
depth.-zone of subduction. The magma
rich in silica rises because it is less
dense than the surrounding material –
when it reaches the surface via cracks
and fissures in the continental crust ,
volcanoes erupts violently.
 Island Arcs
The melted material are a source for the
magma in active volcanoes. As it rises to
the surface an arc or line of volcanoes is
formed. (Archipelago).
NB. Volcanoes formed by subduction
action are called subduction volcanoes.
These volcanoes often erupt violently and
the earthquakes are also often destructive.
Example the Islands of the Lesser Antilles
in the Caribbean formed at the convergent
margin between the Caribbean and North
American Plates.
 Ocean Trench

The destruction of the plate edges

results in the formation a long
narrow depression called ocean
trench at the subduction zone.
Example- the Peru- Chile Trench
formed by the Nazca plate subduction
beneath the continental S.A. plate
 OCEANIC TO OCEANIC
• Usually one of the oceanic plates is older. The
older plate is cooler and denser than the younger
plate. The denser plate will slide beneath the
younger plate, and the downward movement of
the plate forms deep oceanic trenches. As the
denser oceanic plate and its sediments melt,
magma is formed and rises to the seafloor
forming a curving chain of volcanic islands
called "island arcs". These volcanic island arcs
closely parallel oceanic trenches.
• Examples include the Marianas and the Aleutian
trenches.
 Earthquakes
• Earthquakes occur at plate boundaries .
• Convection currents pull the denser plate
down into the mantle, it becomes
jammed against the rocks of the rocks on
the continental plate. Pressure build up
and eventually the rock snap along the
fault line ( line of weakness) and release
the build up energy producing
destructive earthquakes.
 Fold Mountain
Fold mountains- rocks from
the continental crust are thrust
upwards in compressional
movement ( at convergent zones)
where they begin to fold and
crumple resulting in mountain
building.
Example – the Rockies N.A.
and Andes S.A.
 Collision zones
• When two continental plates meet -
this called a collision zone.
• Both plates are light (the same
density) and therefore cannot sink.
• The rocks between the plates are
pushed upwards to form fold mountains.
Earthquakes may also occur.
• Examples of fold mountains at a
collision zone are the Alps, (Europe)
Switzerland and Himalayas , India.
 How much have I learnt ?
Read content in textbook
• Name the five features formed at a convergent
zone .
• Explain how any TWO features are formed.
 Divergent / Constructive Margin

• Two plates move away from each other.

• If the plates are oceanic , the quiet upwelling
of magma rises through a gap in the oceanic
crust resulting in - sea floor spreading.
• The new material spread over the sea floor and
on either side of the plate margin. It can rise up
to 2 to 4 km above the ocean bed- forming a
chain of mountains on either sides of the sea
floor – called Mid- oceanic ridges.
• Example the Mid- Atlantic ridge
approx.16,000km in the Atlantic Ocean
Diagrams of divergent margin
Rift valley
• Divergent boundaries also occur on
land.
• Two crustal plates pull apart, the forces
caused large sections of the crust to
sink between parallel fault lines .
N.B. - Fault lines are lines of weakness

• Example the Great Rift Valley of East

Africa ( run for approx. 3,000km).
Mid-ocean ridge and rift valley
 Transform margin
Plates slide parallel past each other in opposite
directions at different rates without causing destruction
to the plates.
When the plates are (locked tightly/ interlock ) together
by friction – energy is stored up over a period of many
years. Eventually, the strain is too much, the rocks
along the plate margin snap / jerk forward. Sudden
jerk releases large amount of energy resulting in
violent earthquakes.
Example the San Andreas Fault – formed when the
Pacific plate and the North American Plate slide past
each other.
Photograph of San Andreas Fault line
watch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ugwf6IaE_k
 Activities- complete the table below in your notebook
Plate margin Movement (arrows) Features formed Examples

Convergent – subduction

Convergent – collision

Divergent :ocean – ocean

Divergent – land – land

Transform
 Lesson 3 - The Caribbean and adjacent
plate boundaries
• The islands of the Caribbean were formed by tectonic
activity
• Most people in the region live under the threat of tectonic
activity.
• Except for BAHAMAS to the north and SURINAME and
GUYANA to the south ( geologically stable ).
The Caribbean and adjacent plate boundaries

Five tectonic zones in the

region are:
• Zone 1 – Bahamas and Cuba lie on
the NA plate ( geologically stable)
• Zone 2 – Jamaica / Hispaniola /
Puerto Rica – now a transform
margin . Earthquakes can occur
here. To the west of Jamaica there is
a short divergent boundary called
the Cayman Island Ridge. The
Puerto Rico trench is located in this
zone .
The Caribbean and adjacent plate boundaries
• Zone 3 – The islands of the
Eastern Caribbean . Except for
Barbados which is located to the
east of the island arc. Barbados is
not a volcanic island.
• Zone 4 – Central America and
Mexico- an area of fold
mountains.
• Zone 5- fold mountains along the
southern edge of the Caribbean in
northern Venezuela and Trinidad.
Study questions : read chapter 1 textbook and complete
the following on your own.
1. Explain why plates move.
2. Explain how volcanoes are
formed at convergent plate
margins
3. Explain the formation of fold
mountains at a subduction and
collision zone. Include examples
in your answer.
• Draw a well labelled diagram to
show the structure of the earth
• Name two areas in the
Caribbean that are geologically
stable.
• Explain how earthquakes are
formed at transform margins.
References read/watch content from at least 2
of the sources listed below:
1. Geography for CSEC (textbook) Chapter 1.
2. Caribbean Environment
3. New Caribbean Geography
4. You tube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ugwf6IaE_k

Prepare for a written test