Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics

Name: _________________________________       Date: _____________

When and where on the planet have volcanoes erupted recently? Why do volcanoes occur in those locations? Can volcanoes happen anywhere, or are they more likely in some areas?

In this activity, you will find out about the world's most recently active volcanoes. You'll also learn about the different ways that tectonic plates can interact along plate boundaries and which situations are likely to cause volcanoes to erupt.

1. 1. View a list of recent volcanic activity. Scroll down past the volcano map. The most recent eruption appears at the top of the list. Complete the first three columns of the table below for the ten most recent eruptions.
      
      

      Date	Volcano Name	Location	Tectonic Plates Involved

      
      
   2. Most volcanoes occur along the edges of Earth's tectonic plates. For help completing the last column, refer to this USGS plate tectonic map. Using the latitude and longitude given in the volcano list above, you can determine the tectonic plates by locating the ten volcanoes on this NASA map of the world.
      
      
   
   
2. Choose any one of the ten volcanoes and click on its link on the list of volcanoes you visited above. Summarize the details of its recent eruption.
   
   
   
   
3. To learn more about what can happen when tectonic plates meet each other, go to The Action is at the Edges. Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph.
   
   Three things can happen when tectonic plates meet.
   Plates push against each other along a _______________________ plate boundary.
   Plates move apart along a ___________________________ plate boundary.
   Plates slip past each other sideways at ___________________________ plate boundaries.
   
   
4. Next, you'll see what happens along divergent plate boundaries. You can also view an animation. What happens as two plates move away from each other?
   
   
   
   
5. Now you'll explore convergent boundaries. What is a subduction zone?
   
   
   
   
6. Here's more information about convergent boundaries. Describe what happens when a dense oceanic tectonic plate meets a less-dense continental plate.
   
   
   
   
7. Describe how magma forms in a subduction zone.
   
   
   
   
8. What is a magma chamber?
   
   
   
   
9. What happens when the molten rock breaks through the surface?
   
   
   
   
10. Volcanoes that occur at neither divergent or convergent boudaries are hot spot volcanoes. Describe how hot spot volcanoes form and give an example.