Chapter 10, Section 2

Standards 3b. Students know the principal structures that form at the 3 different kinds of plate boundaries.

Objective 1 Identify how movements of tectonic plates change Earth’s surface.

Objective 2 Describe the supercontinent cycle.

Assessment Flap Book, Daily Quiz, Chapter Test

Review Daily Bellwork, Science Starters, Standards Practice

Chapter 10, Section 3

Key TermsCreate a flashcard for each of the following terms (found on p.255 in your text book).RiftingTerraneSupercontinent cyclePangaeaPanthalassa

If you finish early, study your flashcards!

Rifting• The process by which Earth’s

crust breaks apart.• New, smaller continents may

form as a result.

Terranes• A TERRANE is a piece of lithosphere that has

a unique geological history. –Contains rocks and fossils that differ from

nearby terranes.–Major faults at the boundary of a terrane.–Magnetic properties of a terrane do no

match nearby terranes.

Terranes• When a Terrane on a subducting plate

converges with a plate of continental crust the terrane is scraped off the subducting plate and is added to the continental plate.

• Some terranes form mountains, some just add more surface area.

• This process is called ACCRETION.

The Supercontinent Cycle• SUPERCONTINENT= when all of the landmasses form one large

continent (scientists believe there have been at least 5 different supercontinents since the first crust formed on Earth).

• SUPERCONTINENT CYCLE = the process by which supercontinents form and break apart over time.

• PANGAEA= the supercontinent that formed 300 million years ago and began breaking up 250 million years ago which led to our modern continents.

• PANTHALASSA= the single, large ocean that covered the Earth’s surface during the time of PANGAEA.

Quick Check!!1. What is a supercontinent?

________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________ was the most recent supercontinent.

Geography of the Future• As tectonic plates continue to move

Earth’s geography will change dramatically.

• East Africa will rift and separate from Africa, North and South America will collide with Africa, Los Angeles will be North of San Francisco!

Assessment Drawing of one of the stages of the

formation of Pangaea on p. 258-259.Include color and labels.

Daily Quiz