Nazca Plate

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nazca-plate

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Nazca Plate?Approximately 15 million square kilometers (5.8 million square miles)
2. What is the location?Eastern Pacific Ocean, west of South America
3. What is the movement speed?Approximately 7.5 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) per year

Oceanic Lithosphere: The part of Earth's lithosphere that underlies the ocean basins, characterized by its basaltic composition and relative density.
Continental Lithosphere: The part of Earth's lithosphere that makes up the continents, characterized by its granitic composition and lower density.
Orogeny: The process of mountain formation, especially by folding and faulting of the Earth's crust.
Pacific Ring of Fire: A horseshoe-shaped zone around the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur due to tectonic plate activity.