Global Distribution of Volcanoes Click the link for the “Global Distribution of Volcanoes” KMZ file to begin this activity.

Global Distribution of Volcanoes

·        Click the link for the “Global Distribution of Volcanoes” KMZ file to begin this activity.

·        In the Layers panel, expand the “Gallery” layer and turn on the “Volcanoes” layer. Once the Volcanoes layer is turned on, you can hide the Layers panel.

·        Open the “Global Distribution of Volcanoes” folder and double click the “?” icon to fly to Central America. Open this “Global Distribution of Volcanoes” placemark and follow the instructions there to download and open this file in the Google Earth™ mapping service: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=286222. Open the “Plate boundary model” folder and turn off the “Rotation poles” layer by unchecking the box next to it.

·        Note: Convergent plate boundaries are drawn in blue, while divergent boundaries are drawn in red on the sea floor and in yellow on land.

·        Quickly navigate around the world, paying attention to the tectonic plate names and boundaries. Notice that the volcanoes that are displayed vary with the level of zoom.

1. Double click the icon for placemark A in the Places panel.

a. Describe the location of volcanoes with respect to the plate boundaries in the area around placemark A.

b. What is “different” about the volcanoes located around placemark I?

2. Double click the icon for placemark B in the Places panel.

a. Once again, describe the distribution of volcanoes with respect to the location of plate boundaries.

3. Double click the icon for placemark C in the Places panel.

a. Describe the distribution of volcanoes with respect to the location of plate boundaries here as well. Then double click the icon for placemark D, and describe the distribution of volcanoes in that view.

b. Zoom out so that placemarks A, B, C, and D are all visible (or double click the icon for the “Pacific View” placemark). Then zoom in and fly along the rim of the Pacific Ocean. Explain why the Pacific Rim is called the “Ring of Fire,” and describe the conditions that exist to create the Ring of Fire.

4. Double click the icon for placemark E and describe/name the type of plate boundary in this area.

a. Describe the distribution of volcanoes with respect to this type of plate boundary. How does the distribution of the volcanoes differ from the location of the volcanoes you observed at placemarks A, B, C, and D?

5. Double click the icons for placemarks F, G, H, and I in succession, stopping to study the distribution of the volcanoes in each of these areas.

a. How does the distribution of volcanoes in each of these areas differ from those viewed previously? What do the distributions of the volcanoes in each of these places have in common with one another?

b. The volcanoes at placemarks F, G, H, and I are all “hot spot” volcanoes. Search the globe, and report the latitude and longitude of at least two additional probable hot spots.