Evolution of Earth Systems

Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics

The reticent volcano keeps

The reticent volcano keeps

His never-slumbering plan;

Confided are his projects pink

To no precarious man.

If nature will not tell the tale

Jehovah told to her

Can human nature not survive

Without a listener?

Admonished by her buckled lips

Let every babbler be

The only secret people keep

Is immortality.

-- Emily Dickinson

To begin, plot the earthquake locations listed on the accompanying table ont the world map. Once you have completed the plots, transcribe the plate boundaries from the plate map onto your volcano plot map. Respond to the following questions:

1. Are there any similarities in the locations of volcanoes and plate boundaries? Where do most volcanoes lie with respect to plate boundaries? Are all volcanoes at plate boundaries? Do all plate boundaries have volcanoes? Discuss.

2. Using the plate boundaries map and the arrows (which indicate direction of plate movement), how many different types of relative plate movement can you identify? List them.

3. For each type of plate boundary, name 5 specific volcanoes.

4. List what volcano(es) is / are not associated with plate boundaries.

5. What are the 2 closest plate boundaries to Bothell? Are volcanoes associated with both?

6. Write a generalized explanation of how volcanoes are associated with plate boundaries. Be as specific as possible with regards to types of volcanoes and motions at plate boundaries.

Selected World Volcanoes