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Convection Currents Worksheet

Last updated about 8 years ago

4 questions

Note from the author:

This worksheet requires a model of convection currents that can be purchased through geoblox.com.  The questions can be answered without the model but using the model is helpful for understanding

All of the questions are about this diagram.  Use your model to help figure out what the convection currents are doing.

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Question 1

1.

The red arrows show that the land is moving in the direction the arrows are pointing. What is causing the land to move?

Question 2

2.

Rotate the convection currents on your model in the direction that the arrows are pointing, as you do this think about what the currents are doing to the land above them. What will happen to the Red Sea between Africa and the Arabian Penninsula as those two pieces of land get pulled apart?

Nothing

It will disappear

It will get bigger

It will get smaller

Question 3

3.

Rotate the convection currents on your model in the direction that the arrows are pointing, as you do this think about what the currents are doing to the land above them. What will happen to Somalia and the Arabian Penninsula as the convection currents continue to move those two pieces of land?

Nothing

They will get farther apart

They will collide

They will eventually be one piece of land

Question 4

4.

Rotate the convection currents on your model in the direction that the arrows are pointing, as you do this think about what the currents are doing to the land above them. What will happen to the East African Rift Zone as the convection currents continue to pull the Afar Traingle and Somalia in different directions?

It will eventually get filled in by the Red Sea

It will go away because Africa will become one big piece

It will be a big canyon, like the Grand Canyon is

Nothing