Teaching About Plate Tectonics and Faulting Using

Objective: Demonstrate plate tectonic principles, plate boundary interactions and the geometry and relative motions of faulting of geologic layers using 3-D foam models. The foam models aid in visualization and understanding of plate motions and faulting because the models are three-dimensional, concrete rather than abstract descriptions or diagrams, can be manipulated by the instructor and the students, and the models can show the motions of the plates and faults through time in addition to the three-dimensional configuration of the plates or layers. The fault and plate boundary models shown here illustrate relatively simple motions and geologic structures. Although these models are accurate representations of real Earth faulting and plate tectonic structures and motions, the spherical shape of the Earth and the complexity of geological features caused by varying rock types and rock properties and geological development over many millions or hundreds of millions of years, result in significant complexity and variability of actual fault systems and plate tectonic boundaries