Glencoe World GeographyChapter 32:
The Physical Geography of Australia, Oceania, and AntarcticaWeb Activity Lesson Plans"The Ring of Fire" Introduction
Students have read about the physical geography of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica.
In this activity they will learn more about the location and origins of the Ring
of Fire and how it relates to volcanic activity in the region. They will also
learn about both the hazardous and the beneficial effects of volcanoes.
Lesson Description
Students will access information from the United States Geological Survey's Web
site This Dynamic Earth to learn more about the Ring of Fire. Students will answer
four questions and then apply what they have learned to create a bulletin board
display.
Instructional Objectives - Students will be able to discuss the theory of plate tectonics and the role
of plate movement in the formation of the Ring of Fire.
- Students will be able to identify both the hazardous and beneficial effects
of volcanoes.
Applied Content Standards
Standard 1: The geographically informed person knows and understands how to use
maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire,
process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Standard 4: The geographically informed person knows and understands the physical
and human characteristics of places.
Standard 7: The geographically informed person knows and understands the physical
processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Standard 15: The geographically informed person knows and understands how physical
systems affect human systems.
Student Web Activity Answers- As two plates collide, the deepest part of the subducting plate breaks into
smaller pieces that can become locked in place for long periods of time before
suddenly moving, which generates large earthquakes. The convergence of undersea
plates leads to the formation of volcanic islands as, over millions of years,
the erupted lava and volcanic debris pile up on the ocean floor until a submarine
volcano rises above sea level to form an island volcano.
- Volcanic arcs and ocean trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin form
the so-called Ring of Fire. The volcanic island arcs lie parallel to and always
landward of the ocean trenches.
- GPS satellites send continuous signals to GPS ground sites to measure distances
between points on the earth, including sites around the Pacific Basin. Geographers
use these repeated measurements to determine whether there is movement between
plates or along faults. Scientists hope to learn more about how these movements
relate to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
- Hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Benefits
include fertile soil from weathered volcanic rock, ore deposits contained
in magma or hot water, fossil fuels from buried organic material, and geothermal
energy.
- Students' displays will vary but should use both visual and textual materials
to illustrate how a volcano forms along the Ring of Fire. The display should
also explain the hazardous and beneficial effects of a volcano.
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