APES 4.1 notes

Welcome and Agenda

  • Welcome message dated November 19 (A) / 20 (B)

  • Required materials for the session:

    • 4.1 Plate Tectonics & 4.2 Soil Notes handout (provided last class)

    • Headphones

    • Soil Lab handout

  • Today's agenda includes the following:

    1. Set up soil lab to run over Thanksgiving.

    2. Independent Lesson & Notes on Topic 4.1 Plate Tectonics - Read, Watch, Take Notes.

    3. Conduct test corrections, if eligible and needed, for Unit 3.

Soil Lab Setup

  1. Read AP Classroom Lab 7: Physical & Chemical Properties of Soil. Answer the questions individually on lined paper. Complete the following sections:

    • Overview & Purpose

    • Pre-Lab Activity

    • Pre-Lab Questions

    • Getting Started

    • Procedure up to Part 1 (skip step 3 - detergent)

  2. After completing necessary readings, perform Part III, Day 1 (skip step 3: detergent).

  3. After lab setup, clean up your station and work independently on Lesson 4.1.

  4. Lesson and Notes are available in Schoology, which includes multiple short videos; make sure to use headphones while engaging with the content.

Unit 4: Earth Systems & Resources

  • Enduring Understanding: Earth’s systems interact, resulting in a state of balance over time.

Overview of Unit 4 Instruction

  • Note that Unit 4 will cover multiple sub-units where specific topics align better with other content. Current focus is on 4.1-4.3.

  • Preserve all handouts received for future reference.

Learning Intentions for Topic 4.1 - Plate Tectonics

  • Objective: Learn about the processes that occur at plate boundaries.

  • Success Criteria: Ability to describe geological changes and events that occur at:

    • Convergent plate boundaries

    • Divergent plate boundaries

    • Transform plate boundaries

Essential Knowledge About Plate Boundaries

  • ERT-4.A.1: Convergent boundaries can result in the creation of mountains, island arcs, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

  • ERT-4.A.2: Divergent boundaries can result in seafloor spreading, rift valleys, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

  • ERT-4.A.3: Transform boundaries can result in earthquakes.

  • ERT-4.A.4: Maps displaying the global distribution of plate boundaries can identify the locations of volcanoes, island arcs, earthquakes, hot spots, and faults.

  • ERT-4.A.5: An earthquake occurs when accumulated stress overcomes a locked fault, releasing the stored energy.

Instructional Methodology

  • Recommended to go through the lesson in SLIDESHOW mode to experience the full presentation effect.

  • Important to take notes, especially for students who did not take Earth Science.

Earth's Structure

  • Watch a video discussing Earth's internal structure:

    • Lithosphere

    • Lower Mantle

    • Outer Core

  • *Earth's Internal Structure Details:

    • Crust: 0-100 km thick

    • Upper Mantle

    • Lower Mantle

    • Outer Core (liquid)

    • Inner Core (solid Nickel and Iron)

  • Detailed Layers of the Earth:

    • Crust:** 0-100 km thick**

    • Asthenosphere: layer beneath the lithosphere allowing movement.

    • Lithosphere: includes the uppermost solid mantle and the crust (tectonic plates).

    • Inner Core: Solid layer at 5100 km deep composed mainly of iron and nickel.

Density and Interaction of Plates

  • Different densities of plates lead to various formations:

    • Continental Crust: Lower density (felsic)

    • Oceanic Crust: Higher density (mafic)

  • The Asthenosphere allows for the movement of tectonic plates due to its weak nature, facilitating the interactions between different plates.

Heat Generation within the Earth

  • Radioactive elements release heat from the mantle, creating a magma sea that drives the movement of tectonic plates (Lithosphere).

Study of Plate Boundaries

  • An interactive component involves joining Carlos Jaramillo on an archaeological dig in Panama, highlighting the meeting place of North and South American plates.

  • This segment emphasizes the role of plate tectonics in Earth's history, covering:

    • Definition of plates

    • Mechanics of plate movement

    • Consequences of plate interactions

Fossil Evidence of Plate Movement

  • Notable fossils of similar species found on different continents suggest historical connections:

    • Cynognathus fossils (found in North America and South America)

    • Glossopteris fossils (found across South America, Africa, India, Antarctica, and Australia)

    • Lystrosaurus fossils (similar distribution)

    • Mesosaurus fossils (found in South America and Africa)

Concept of Continental Drift

  • Historical supercontinent Gondwana included South America, Africa, and other southern continents.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

  • Concept Overview: Earth's crust is divided into large pieces known as plates that move slowly over time.

  • Plate movement results in:

    • Geological formations such as mountains, trenches, and volcanoes.

    • Geological events such as earthquakes.

Plate Movement Mechanism

  • Plates move as a result of convection cycles within the mantle adapted for plate tectonics.

Interactive Learning and Observation

  • Students are encouraged to interact with simulations and videos that teach about tectonic plate movements and formations (https://pbslm-contrib.s3.amazonaws.com/WGBH/conv16/conv16-int-mmes/index.html).

Types of Plate Boundaries

  • Divergent Boundaries: Formation of mid-ocean ridges, volcanoes, sea floor spreading, and rift valleys on land.

  • Convergent Boundaries: Lead to the formation of mountains, volcanoes, and trenches.

  • Transform Boundaries: Characterized by frequent earthquakes due to stress overcoming locked faults. The San Andreas Fault in California is a well-known example.

Summary and Implications of Plate Boundaries

  • Identify the type of plate under which we live and the plates we are converging with or moving away from.

Prediction Tools and Geological Activity

  • Plate Tectonic Map: Used for predicting potential geological events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and new islands forming, particularly in the 'Ring of Fire' which is correlated with active tectonic and volcanic activity around the Pacific Plate.

Specific Geological Zones

  • The Ring of Fire: An area characterized by volcanic activity due to subduction zones, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath continental plates leading to volcanic formations.

Transform Faults

  • These faults are locations of earthquake activity due to friction and built-up pressure as tectonic plates shift. The San Andreas Fault serves as a prominent example.

Hotspots and Magma Activity

  • Hotspots: Areas of intense volcanic activity where magma rises through the lithosphere, resulting in island formation, such as in Hawaii and Iceland.

Math Practice Problem

  • Problem: Determine the duration for two cities on different tectonic plates (Los Angeles and San Francisco) to be situated adjacent, given:

    • Distance between the cities: 630 km (380 miles)

    • Plate under Los Angeles moves northward at: 36 mm per year.

  • **Setup for solution:

    • 630 km = 630,000 m = 630,000,000 mm

    • Time required = \frac{630,000,000 ext{ mm}}{36 ext{ mm/year}} = 17,500,000 ext{ years}.

Reflective Questions and Learning Goals

  • Able to:

    • Describe the processes and formations at convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.

    • Explain how a tectonic map allows predictions for volcanic, earthquake, and fault activity.

    • Discuss the formation mechanism of earthquakes.

  • Reminder to engage with all AP classroom videos for Topic 4.1 and incorporate additional notes while reading and viewing these resources.