Our changing Earth

Move tectonic plates, inspect real earthquakes and discover how landscapes change.

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1. 1

   What happens where tectonic plates meet?

   Compare plates moving apart, coming together and sliding past one another.

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2. 2

   Where do earthquakes happen?

   Explore a dated USGS earthquake sample alongside published tectonic plate boundaries.

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3. 3

   Why do volcanoes have different shapes?

   Compare real USGS photographs of a shield volcano, a stratovolcano and a cinder cone.

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4. 4

   Can one kind of rock become another?

   Choose different processes and follow possible routes between rocks, sediment and molten material.

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5. 5

   How are weathering and erosion different?

   Sort examples by whether rock changes in place or material moves to a new location.

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Each discovery includes all five reading levels. Journey progress reflects the checkpoints answered on this browser.

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