Geography Earth's structure, plate tectonics, and mountain building processes

It is an ancient supercontinent that joined all the Earth's landmasses into one giant piece of land.

define the term Pangaea

It formed hundreds of millions of years ago. It later broke apart to form the landmasses of the modern Southern Hemisphere and other regions

define the terms Gondwanaland

The crust is outermost and thinnest layer of solid rock.

 Identify and describe each layer of the earth: crust

The Mantel is the thickest layer of the Earth. Made of hot, dense rock that moves very slowly like thick paste.

Identify and describe each layer of the earth: Mantel

The Outer core is a liquid layer made of melted iron and nickel.

Identify and describe each layer of the earth: Outer Core

The inner core is solid iron and nickel at the center of the planet.

Identify and describe each layer of the earth: Inner Core

Convergent subduction boundaries involve a dense oceanic plate sinking into the mantle to create volcanoes and trenches, whereas convergent collision boundaries involve two continental plates smashing together to form massive, non-volcanic mountain ranges.

What is the difference between convergent subduction plate boundaries and convergent collision boundaries

Volcanoes form when molten rock rises from deep inside the Earth and erupts through cracks in the crust.

Explain how volcanoes are formed. 

Hotspots are fixed areas deep inside the Earth where super-hot magma rises up in a plume, melting a hole through the crust to erupt as lava. While the hotspot stays in one place, the tectonic plate above it moves slowly over time. This movement creates a trail of volcanoes, which explains how the Hawaiian Islands formed in a straight line as the Pacific Plate moved across a single hotspot.

Explain how hotspots form volcanoes, including the formation of the Hawaiian Islands.

Volcano shapes depend entirely on how sticky their magma is. Runny, thin magma flows easily over vast distances to build wide, flat shield volcanoes through gentle eruptions. In contrast, thick, sticky magma traps gas and explodes violently, piling ash and rock close to the vent to form tall, steep composite volcanoes.

 Explain why some volcanoes have different shapes (shield, composite) 

The Himalayas formed 50 million years ago when the Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate at a convergent boundary. Because both continental masses were too buoyant to subduct, the intense pressure crumpled and folded the Earth's crust upward. This collision created young fold mountains that continue to grow higher today.

Explain the formation of the Himalayan Mountain ranges including the plates involved, plate boundary type & type of mountain formed.

Iceland formed through intense volcanic activity where theMid-Atlantic Ridge meets a deep mantle hotspot. Eruptions piled thick layers of basalt lava on the ocean floor over millions of years until the land finally rose above sea level

 Explain how Iceland formed

The Andes Mountains were formed by tectonic activity when the oceanic Nazca Plate pushed down and slid under the continental South American Plate.

Explain how the Andes Mountains were formed