Name: Date:

Lab: Predicting Plate Movement

Introduction: The word tectonics comes from the same Greek base word as architect." Both words deal with building. An architect designs structures. Tectonics is a process by which Earth's structure are built and changed. Using your knowledge of plate tectonics and assuming the direction of crustal plates are constant; you can predict what the world would look like in the future.

Materials: Scissors, the crustal boundary map of Arabian Peninsula, and metric ruler.

Directions: 1. Cut the map along the crustal boundaries. (Map is attached) Move the pieces to show how the plates will move in the next 25 million years, according to the types of boundaries and rate of movement. 2. Tape the pieces in place on another piece of paper and answer the following questions.

Questions: 1. When fitting the pieces together, did you have to crumple your pieces some to account for the various plate movements? If so, what are some geological features analogous to the crumpled paper?

2. State those plate tectonic principles used to determine your prediction.

3. Describe any geographical features that might be changed do to this movement.

4. Describe any problems that might occur when making plate movement predictions for such extreme amounts of time as we have in this lab. Name: Date:

Crustal Boundary Map of Arabian Peninsula and Surroundings

4 km = 100,000 years of crustal movement

0 800 km

400