Internet Resources

Farallon Plate remnants

The Rockies are fifteen hundred kilometers, or one thousand miles, to the east. The cause must be the tectonic plate that built these mountains. Its name is Farallon. Farallon started off normally ...

Earth Structure: A virtual journey to the center of the earth

This lesson discusses the interior structure of the earth as defined by research on the behavior of seismic waves as they move through the layers inside of the planet. The lesson details both ...

The Core Dynamo

This demonstration of the Earth's magnetic field requires a DC motor, ammeter, electromagnet, and DC power supply or battery. The site explains the concept of a dynamo and how if an electrical ...

Mantle Convection Moving Plates

This demonstration models the manner in which the convection currents in the mantle of the Earth cause movement of the plates. Convection currents in the mantle were thought, for many years, to be ...

Solid Mantle in Full Flow: The DIY Potty Putty Simulation

This demonstration illustrates the properties of the mantle of the Earth, using potty putty mixed with a solution of borax and simple glue. When left on the desk the potty putty will sink and spread. ...

Isostasy

This resource provides information on isostasy and the effects of glaciation on the Earth's lithosphere. The descriptions and scientific illustrations demonstrate how glaciers and the growth of ...

Earth Structure and Changes (title provided or enhanced by cataloger)

In the first of these two modeling activities, students make a model and label the layers of the interior of the Earth including the inner and outer cores, the mantle and the crust. In the second ...

Journey to the Center of the Earth

This 1 hour 36 minute radio broadcast discusses the first direct evidence that the inner core of the Earth is spinning faster than its crust. Guest host Richard Harris talks with researchers about ...

Deep Mantle Plumes Help Explain Hawaii's Origins

This radio broadcast discusses a theory that says the Hawaiian Islands formed as a result of deep mantle plumes. The theory of plate tectonics does not explain their origin, since they are in the ...

Scientist Proposes Alternative to Deep Mantle Plumes

This radio broadcast continues the discussion from the previous show ('Deep Mantle Plumes Help Explain Hawaii's Origins') over whether the Hawaiian Islands were created by deep mantle plumes. Don ...

Magnetic Reversals: Fact and Fiction

In this activity students learn about Earth's magnetic reversals by reading two fiction stories and a scientific summary of past reversals, including graphical information. This will help students ...

An Introduction to Geomagnetism

This tutorial introduces students to geomagnetism, the Earth's magnetic field, and its changes through time and space. Topics include the properties of Earth's magnetic field, how it makes a compass ...

N.E. Pacific and W. North America Plate History, 38 Ma to Present.

This page presents an animation by Tanya Atwater of the evolution of the western margin of the North American plate from 38 Ma to present. Motions are shown with respect to a stationary North America.

Layers of the Earth

This activity is designed to familiarize students with the layers of the Earth and their approximate thicknesses. Students will cut and paste circles of paper to model the crust, mantle, outer core, ...

Observe an animation of convection in the mantle.

Glacial Isostasy

This animation depicts the changes that occur in the mantle and crust when undergoing glacial isostasy. The animation covers both the thickening of the glacier and its subsequent melting.

Farallon Plate Remnants

This image and short video from the NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio shows the remnants of the Farallon Plate based on seismic tomography studies. The studies were conducted by Hans-Peter Bunge ...

Geologic History of the San Andreas Fault System

This page from the USGS resource This Dynamic Earth (online edition) describes the evolution of the western coast of North America. A series of block diagrams shows how the subduction zone along the ...

The Farallon Plate

In this animation from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio, the Farallon Plate sinks beneath North American Plate and scrapes along bottom of continent for 1,500 kilometers before sinking again.

Late Jurassic Tectonics and Paleogeography (145 Ma)

These side-by-side images from Northern Arizona University show tectonic conditions of Western margin of North America alongside a paleotopography map.