Plate Tectonics. By: Leah Miller.

Who originated the theory of Pangaea? Alfred Wegener invented the theory of Pangaea. Alfred proposed that the continents were once compressed into one proto continent, which he then called Pangaea. A Pangaea is the name of a single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today’s continents.

Was the theory of a ‘super continent’ originally accepted by scientists? Alfred believed that Pangaea was completed in late Carboniferous period. This was from 345-280 millions of years ago. It began to break and drift apart.

What did Pangaea mean? In what Earth period did Pangaea occur? Pangaea means “all lands.” The theory of Pangaea was in 1912. Alfred's hypothesis was a geological mechanism to explain how the continents could drift across the earths surface.

What theory of continental placement was being discussed during the time Wegener introduced his Pangaea theory? People were talking about the “contraction theory”. This was when the earth practically melts and while in the process of cooling, the surface cracked and folded by itself.

Alfred Wegener was a German geologist, but he was also accomplished in what other science? How do you think this relates to his discoveries? Wegener accomplished in “pole-fleeing force”. This was the rotation of the earth and created a centrifugal force towards the equator. I think this relates to his other discoveries because his other theories are relating to the earth and so is his “pole-fleeing force”.

Whose ideas later assisted in the recognition of Wegener’s theory Whose ideas later assisted in the recognition of Wegener’s theory? How did these people’s ideas relate to Wegener’s original findings? Arthur Holmes (1929), Harry Hess (1962), and R Deitz (1961). These 3 people’s ideas relate with Alfred’s original findings because now there is more information so people can understand and believe Wegener’s theory.

URL website for section 1: History of Pangaea. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/techist.html

My definition of Convergent Boundary A plate boundary when 2 plates move toward each other. A Boundary is a line determining the limits of an area.

Which of these hazards are characteristics of a Convergent Boundary? Earthquakes? Volcanoes? Mountains? Trenches? Mud/Landslides? Other? I think that Volcanoes, Mountains, Trenches, and Mud/Landslides.

Vocabulary words Earthquake: The shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth’s surface. Volcano: A weak spot in the crust where magma has come to the surface. Mountain: a land mass that is higher up well above its surroundings. Trench: a long steep-sided depression in the ocean floor. Landslide: A natural disaster that involves the breakup and downhill flow of rock, mud, water and anything caught in the path. Mudslide: A geological disaster in which a large amount of mud gathers and moves rapidly down a hill or slope.

An example of a Convergent Boundary and the continental plates in the boundary An example is Mountains. The continental plates involved are Continental Crust, Lithosphere, Asthenosphere colliding with the Continental Crust, Lithosphere, and Ancient Oceanic Crust. A Plate is a rigid layer of the Earth's crust that is believed to drift slowly.

URL website for section 2: Convergent Boundaries http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/plate2.htm http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html

My definition of Divergent Boundary A plate boundary when 2 plates move away from each other.

Which of these hazards are characteristics of a Divergent Boundary Earthquakes? Volcanoes? Mountains? Trenches? Mud/Landslides? Other? I think that Trenches, and Mud/Landslides are a Divergent Boundary.

An example of a Divergent Boundary and the continental plates in the boundary An example is Trenches. The continental plates in the boundary are Ocean, Crust, and Mantle.

URL websites for section 3: Divergent Boundaries http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/plate2.htm

My definition of Transform Boundary A plate boundary when 2 plates move past each other in opposite directions.

Which of these hazards are characteristics of a Transform Boundary Earthquakes? Volcanoes? Mountains? Trenches? Mud/Landslides? Other? I think that Earthquakes are an example of a Transform Boundary.

An example of an example of a Transform Boundary and the continental plates in the boundary Earthquakes are an example. The continental plates are the Oceanic Crust, Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, colliding with Continental Crust.

URL websites for section 4: Transform Boundaries http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/plate3.htm http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html