This Simple scientific demonstration It is a fantastic way of learning about volcanoes, tectonic plates and convection currents.
Volcanoes are mainly in tectonic plate Limits because the movement of tectonic plates allows magma to reach the surface. He Fire ring Around the Pacific plaque is home to about 75% of the world’s volcanoes!
Volcanoes are formed in three areas:
- Constructive plate limits
- Destructive game limits
The three configurations are places where magma can escape through the holes in the earth’s crust.
This scientific demonstration of the underwater volcano shows how convection currents work. Convection currents allow hot magma to rise through the mantle to the earth’s crust.
How to make an underwater volcano
You will need
A large bottle
Cold water
Hot water
Food coloring
Small flask or spice jug
Instructions for an underwater volcano
Fill the large bottle, approximately ¾ full, with cold water.
Carefully ask an adult to help) fill the smaller container near the top with hot water and add a few drops of food coloration.
Carefully lower the small container in the big bottle. Observe how warm and color water rises to colder water.
If you are using a spice bottle with small holes, you should shake the bottle a bit to allow air bubbles to escape.
What is a convection current?
TO convection current It is how heat increases and decreases in liquids and gases. When a liquid or gas is heated, the particles move faster than when they are cold. The space between the particles increases, which makes the density decrease. The warm and less dense liquid or gas rises up, and the densest liquids or gases fill the space. This leads to a convection current, since the process is repeated again and again.
Convection currents and plaque tectonics
Convection currents Play an important role in the movement of magma in the layers of the earth’s crust and the mantle. The heat of the Earth’s core heats the magma closest to it. The hot magma rises through the mantle, cools as it approaches the cortex and sinks again. This is a convection current. As the magma sinks, you can move the tectonic plates through the earth’s surface.
This movement of tectonic plates leads to cracks or fissures in the soil, which allows magma to reach the surface of the earth, and is why most volcanoes are in the limits of the plate.
Teconic plate limits
Constructive plate limits
Constructive plate limits (Divergent) form where convection currents separate. As the plates separate, the magma rises from the mantle layer of the earth to fill the void. The magma cools on the surface, forming igneous rock. The process finally leads to the formation of ridges and cracks. If the magma explodes on the surface, shield volcanoes can be formed.
If this process occurs between continental plates, create deep and wide valleys on Earth. When it occurs between oceanic plates, it leads to a middle ocean crest. Examples of mid -ocean ridges include the Antarctic Crest of the Pacific, Eastern Pacific Risage and the Middle Atlantic crest. Volcanoes are often found along the ridges of the middle ocean.
This type of plate limit is also called divergent.
Destructive Plate Limits
Destructive Plate Limits (Convergent) Form where convection currents push tectonic plates. There are three types of destructive plate limits.
- Oceanic plaque and ocean plaque
- Oceanic plate and continental plaque
- Continental plate and continental plaque
Continental and oceanic
Oceanic plaques are denser than continental plates. This means that the oceanic plate is forced under the continental plate when they move with each other. This is called Subduction. Oceanic trenches, for example, Mariana’s ditch, are formed when an oceanic plate is forged under a continental plaque. The oceanic plate melts due to friction and heat from inside the earth to form magma, causing earthquakes. This is known as a subduction zone.
Magma accumulates in a magma chamber, which then rises through cracks in the continental cortex. If sufficient pressure accumulates, volcanic eruptions can occur, creating volcanoes.
Oceanic plaque and ocean plaque
When two oceanic plaques collide, the densest plate pushes down, which leads to the subduction. The subduced plate melts, creating magma. When the magma comes into contact with the ocean, it cools quickly to form a volcano chain called Isla Arc.
Continental plate and continental plaque
When two continental plates collide, they do not subduct. Instead, the plates are formed up, creating mountains. Collisions can cause earthquakes but not volcanoes.
This type of plate limit is also called convergent.
Transform the limits of the plate
A transformation limit (or conservative) It is where tectonic plates pass with each other. Volcanoes are generally not found in this type of plate limit. The fault of San Andreas, which crosses most of California, is an example of this type of plate limit.
Hot points
Hot points are areas where the heat of overheated magma causes the cortex to melt and delgue. This allows the magma to escape to the surface, forming a volcano. These types of volcanoes are called shield volcanoes. They are more flat than other types of volcanoes.
Mount Erebus In Antarctica it is an example of this type of volcano.
More examples of the real life of convection currents
Radiators and fires
Hot air increases from heat sources such as fires or radiators. When the air near a fire or radiator is heated, expands, becomes less dense and rises up. The coldest and dense air replaces the hot air, which then heats up, becomes less dense and rises. The process continues to transfer heat around the room that contains the heat source.
Hot air balloons
A convection current heats the air inside the globe, causing hot air inside the globe to be less dense than the coldest air outside. This makes the hot air balloon climb up.
Heat water in a pan
Heating water in a pan is another example of the real life of a convection current.
Convection currents also cause sea breeze and most of the other winds.
More scientific volcano activities for children
Make a Model seismometer To discover how scientists detect earthquakes.
Learn about tectonic plates with orange.
Create a Playdough model of the The different layers of the Earth.
Make a bicarbonate sodium volcano.
Say about Recent volcano activity worldwide With NASA.
Science concepts
Convection currents
Tectonic plates
Seismometer
Last update on May 24, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
#Underwater
