ESS2.B: Plate tectonics and large-scale system interactions
Quarter 2, Unit 1 Big Ideas
The four major layers of the Earth are the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core
Earth's surface changes and is shaped by several things: wind, water, gravity, glaciers, and impacts
Know the difference and sequence of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Weathering is the breaking down of materials, erosion is the carrying of weathered materials, and deposition is the dropping or settling of eroded materials
The Earth is made up of several tectonic plates that are moving all the time
There are boundaries between tectonic plates that have different names, and they move in different ways. At a convergent boundary, the plates push against each other. At a divergent boundary, the plates move apart. At a transform-fault boundary they slide past each other.
220 million years ago, the Earth was once a giant landmass with all of the continents combined. That land mass is known as Pangea.
When pressure builds up along fault lines, the earth snaps and releases energy as waves. This is known as an earthquake.
The Richter Scale measures the strength of an earthquake
Magma that rises to Earth's surface and erupts from a vent is a volcano
Required Readings and Lessons (Chapter 6)
How Does Earth's Surface Change? pp. 230-236
What Are Plates And How Do They Move? pp. 240-244
What Causes Earthquakes And Volcanoes? pp. 248-254