Grade 10

Activity Sheets
Quarter 1 Week 7
Name: Junsay, Nexie Emily T.
Grade/Section: 10 - Bonifacio
Date: _______________
10/17/2021
Total Score: 0

The Causes of Plate Movement

Learning Competency: Describe the possible causes of plate movement.
(S10ES –Ia-j-36-5)

Objectives:
1. Identify the different plate boundaries.
2. Determine the causes of plate movements.

Basic Concepts:
Tectonics plates can move between one and ten centimeters per year,
on top of the asthenosphere. Plates move with respect to each other in three
ways: they move together, move apart, or move past each other. The regions
between plates are called plate boundaries. Depending on their motions,
these plate boundaries are three kinds: Divergent, Convergent, and
Transform.
Divergent Plate Boundary occurs when two plates move away from
each other, create a gap or rift between them. Examples: mid-ocean ridge,
rift valleys. Convergent Plate Boundary occurs where two plates slide
towards each other and form either a subduction zone (if one plate moves
underneath the other) or an orogenic belt (if two simply collide and
compress). Examples: subduction, Marianas Trench, mountains, volcanoes.
Transform Plate Boundary occurs when the plates slide against each other
in opposite directions. Examples: San Andreas Fault.
According to the continental drift theory, the plates of the Earth’s
crust continually move, although the speed at which they do so is
infinitesimal or so small to notice.

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 The following are the Driving forces that cause movements of plates;

Convection current/ Mantle Convection - It’s a recurring current in

the mantle that occurs when hotter, less dense material rises, cools, and
then sinks again. It occurs when heat in the core rises towards the mantle,
increasing its kinetic energy and causing it to expand and spread out
beneath the plates. Convection currents rotate very slowly as they move and
drag the plates along as they drive the plates away from each other. Heat
energy dissipates in a circular motion because of the difference in
temperature between the mantle and the layer above it. It warms mantle
currents, drives and carries plates of lithosphere along like a conveyor belt.
Slab Pull- takes place when a subducting slab sinks into the hot
mantle due to difference of the temperature. The rest of the plate to which
the slab is attached is being pulled in as well. Older, colder plates sink at
subduction zones, because as they cool, they become denser than the
underlying mantle. The cooler sinking plate pulls the rest of the warmer
plate along behind it.
Slab suction - occurs between two colliding plates, one of which is
subducting underneath the other plate, whereby convection currents in the
upper mantle suck both plates down. Associated with the slab suction force
is the idea of trench roll-back. As a slab of oceanic crust subducts into the
mantle, the hinge of the plate tends to regress away from the trench.
Ridge push- happens when the lithosphere is pushed up by the
asthenosphere because of convection currents from the mantle. Gravity
pushes the plate down the ridge and a new crust is formed. The ridges are
not pushed apart at their edges. The ‘pushing’ on the plates is actually due
to a difference in gravitational potential energy between a plate at its
spreading center and subduction zone. It is known that mid-oceanic ridges
rise thousands of meters above the ocean floor. Newly-formed plates at
oceanic ridges are warm, and so have a higher elevation at the oceanic ridge
than the colder, denser plate material further away; gravity causes the

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higher plate at the ridge to push away the lithosphere that lies further from
the ridge.

Activity 1: Plate my Type!

The illustrations below show the different movements of each type of
boundary either Divergent, Convergent, and Transform. Identify each type by
writing your answer on the space provided.

http://www.geologyin.com/2016/05/12-facts-you-should-know-about-plate.htm http://www.geologyin.com/2016/05/12-facts-you-should-know-about-plate.htm

1. ____________________________
Convergent Boundary 2. __________________________
Transform Boundary

http://www.geologyin.com/2016/05/12-facts-you-should-know-about-plate.htm

3. _____________________________
Divergent Boundary

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Activity 2A: Matching Type
Match the cause of plate movement in Column A to its description in
Column B. Write the letter of the corresponding answer to the space before
each number.
A B
C.
______1. Slab suction A. When the lithosphere is pushed up
by the asthenosphere because of
convection currents from the mantle.
Gravity pushes the plate down the
ridge and a new crust is formed.

D.
______2. Convection current B. Takes place when a subducting slab
sinks into the hot mantle due to the
difference of the temperature. The rest
of the plate to which the slab is
attached is being pulled in as well.

A.
______3. Ridge push C. Occurs between two colliding plates,
one of which is subducting underneath
the other plate, whereby convection
currents in the upper mantle suck both
plates down.

B.
______4. Slab pull D. occurs when heat in the core rises
towards the mantle, increasing its
kinetic energy and causing it to expand
and spread out beneath the plates.

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Activity 2B. Be Plate Smart!
Identify the different causes of plate movement in the diagram below.
Write your answer on the box provided.

Slab suction Ridge push

Convection current

Slab pull

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/classes/geol/1100/hames/Hames.Ch2.pdf

Tectonic plates move with respect to each other in three ways, move
together like in a convergent boundary, move apart in a divergent
boundary and slide or grind past each other in a transform boundary.
These movements are caused by convection current in the mantle, slab pull,
slab suction and ridge push.
Now, let’s check your understanding of this lesson by answering the
assessment below.

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Activity 3: Knowledge Power!
Choose the letter of your answer.
_____1. The following are examples of driving forces of plate motions except
______.
A. slab push
B. ridge push
✔ C. drag force

D. mantle convection

_______2. What is the process by which heat from the Earth’s interior causes
magma to rise and sink?
✔ A. mantle convection

B. slab suction
C. ridge push
D. slab pull

_______3. The lithospheric plates are believed to be moving slowly. What is

the driving force that facilitates this movement?
A. magnetic force at the poles
B. the force of the atmosphere
C. gravitational force of the moon
✔ D. convection current in the mantle

_______4. What process is involved when the weight of the subducting plate
pulls the tailing slab into the subduction zone?
✔ A. slab pull

B. ridge push
C. slab suction
D. mantle convection

_______5. The mobile rock beneath the rigid plates is believed to be moving
in a circular manner somewhat like a pot of thick soup when heated to

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boiling. The heated soup rises to the surface, spreads and begins to cool,
and then sinks back to the bottom of the pot where it is reheated and rises
again. What possible causes of plate movement will be driven by this
scenario?
✔ A. mantle convection B. slab pull
C. slab suction D. ridge push

Summary:
The direction of motion of each type of boundary is shown in the table.
Direction of Movement Motion Type of Boundary

Two plates slide against Transform Plate

each other in opposite Boundary
direction
Two plates come together, Convergent Plate
one sliding under the Boundary
other or both rising up
Two plates move apart Divergent Plate
Boundary

References:
Herma D. Acosta, Liza A. Alvarez, et. al. Science 10 Learner’s Material,
Department of Education. 2018.

Josefina Maria F. Pavico, Anna Cherylle M. Ramos, et. al. The New Grade 10
Exploring Life Through Science Series, Phoenix Publishing
House.2015

Jo Ann F. Cadayona Janice S. Alquizar

Writer Layout Artist
Digos City National High School Digos City National High School

Learning Materials are for nonprofit educational purposes which are exclusively used for
Schools Division of Digos City only. Copies are not for sale.

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Para sa mga katanungan o puna, sumulat o tumawag sa:

Department of Education - Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)

Ground Floor, Bonifacio Bldg., DepEd Complex

Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, Philippines 1600

Telefax: (632) 8634-1072; 8634-1054; 8631-4985

Email Address: blr.lrqad@deped.gov.ph * blr.lrpd@deped.gov.ph