WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Earth & Life Science Grade 11, Quarter 2, Week 4A

THE STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF OCEAN BASINS

Learning Competency:

Describe the structure and evolution of ocean basins (MELC S11ES-IIf-33)

Specific objectives

1. Identify the structures of ocean basins.

2. Describe the major stages on the evolution of ocean basins.

Key Concepts

Continents and Oceans

• There is one world ocean. The ocean is composed of salt water; it covers 70
percent of the earth’s surface and contains 97 percent of the earth's
water. The ocean is the most prominent feature on our planet.

Structures of Ocean basins

• Ocean basins are the regions that are below sea level. When plates spread
apart, they create gaps where magma from the earth's mantle can rise up and
cool to form structures, such as oceanic ridges, which are continuous
mountain chains located under the surface of the sea. The floors of our world's
oceans contain features that you might recognize as being similar to some
structures on land.

• Some of the dominant topographic features associated with the ocean basins
include: continental shelf, continental slope, continental rise, submarine
canyons, ocean floor, mid-oceanic ridge, and ocean trenches.

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
 Image source: https://www.britannica.com/science/ocean-basin

Image source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/93309023501978582/

Evolution of Ocean Basins

• Ocean basins form initially by the stretching and splitting (rifting) of

continental crust and by the rise of mantle material and magma into the crack
to form new oceanic lithosphere. Among the major ocean basins, the Atlantic
has the simplest pattern of ocean-floor ages.

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
The Geography of the Oceans

• More of the world is covered with oceans than land. This water is not distributed
equally over the globe, however, there is more ocean area in the Southern
Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, almost two-thirds of
our planet’s land area is located in the Northern Hemisphere, while 80% of
the Southern Hemisphere is covered by water!

• An ocean basin is basically a very large depression, or bowl, on the surface of

the earth. The largest and deepest of these is the Pacific Ocean basin. It is
almost as large as the other three basins put together. The Atlantic Ocean
basin is the next largest in size. The Indian Ocean basin is a little smaller
than the Atlantic, but it is similar in depth. Finally, the Arctic Ocean basin is
the smallest and shallowest. These four (4) deep basins are connected to
various shallower seas, many of which are probably familiar to you. The
Caribbean, Arabian, and Mediterranean Seas, as well as the Gulf of Mexico,
are a few examples of these shallower seas.

• A knowledge of earth’s interior is essential for understanding plate tectonics.

Though most of geologic time, the ocean basins have both grown and been
consumed as plate tectonics continued on Earth.

• The latest phase of ocean basin growth began just less than 200 million years
ago with the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, the enormous landmass
composed of nearly all the present continents.

Major Stages of Ocean Basin Evolution

• Our earth surface has different shape in every region. Let’s just take a look to
our ocean. If you want to compare the oceans seafloor one to another there will be a
difference of their bottom structure. The difference that you can see is being caused by the
evolution of the ocean basin. There are some stages of ocean basin evolution.
The evolution contains six (6) stages which are embryonic stage, juvenile stage,
mature stage, declining stage, terminal stage, and Suturing (continental collision).

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
Exercises/Activities

Activity 1: Fill Me Up!

Objective: Identify the structures of ocean basins.

What you need: paper and pencil/ballpen

What to do:

1. In a separate sheet of paper, copy the table below.

2. Identify the structures of ocean basin based on the picture presented below.
Write your answers on the table provided.

3. Give a brief description on each of the structures of the ocean basin.

Image source: https://slideplayer.com/slide/8205002/

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
 Structure of Ocean Basin Description

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

Guide Question:

1. How do ocean basins form their structure? (answer in four (4) sentences
only).
The scoring rubric below will be used by your teacher in assessing your output.
3 pts 2 pts 1 pt 0
Answer is scientifically Answer is scientifically Answer is scientifically No discussion
explained consistent to explained consistent to explained consistent to
the concepts, and has the concepts, but with the concepts, but with
no misconception. minimal misconceptions.
misconception.

Activity 2: Mind Map or Storyboard

Objective: Describe the major stages on the evolution of ocean basins

What you need: paper and pencil or ballpen

What to do:

1. On the Mind Map provided below, describe the six major stages on ocean
basin evolution.

2. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
 1. Embryonic Stage 4. Declining Stage

2. Juvenile Stage 5. Terminal Stage

Stages on
ocean basin
evolution

3. Mature Stage 6. Suturing Stage

Image source: https://www.scribd.com/document/391052079/6-Major-Stages-of-Ocean-

Basin-Evolution

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
Guide Questions:

1. Write a statement that accurately describes ocean basins?

2. How do ocean basins evolve?

The scoring rubric below will be used by your teacher in assessing your output.
Meeting Expectations (5 Working on Expectation Needs Improvement (1
pts) (3 pts) pt)
Directions All directions are Some of the directions are Only one direction is
completely followed. correctly followed. correctly followed.
Quality and The model demonstrates The model demonstrates The model demonstrates
Neatness adequate understanding some understanding on the limited understanding on
on the six major stages of six major stages of ocean the six major stages of
ocean basins evolution. basins evolution. Work is ocean basins evolution.
Work is done neatly. done neatly. Some spelling Work is not neatly done.
There are no spelling errors are observed. Some spelling errors are
errors. observed.

Reflection

1. The floors of our world's oceans contain features that you might recognize as
being similar to some structures on land. Ocean basins are a consequence of
plate motion: subducting slabs pull on their plates, leading to spreading at
divergent plate boundaries. Over vast periods of time, our primitive oceans
formed. As the water drained into the great hollows in the Earth’s surface, the
primeval ocean came into existence. Why do you think the world ocean has
traditionally been divided into ocean basins? Do you think dividing up the ocean
this way is beneficial? Why or why not? (answer in five (5) sentences only).

The scoring rubric below will be used by your teacher in assessing your output.
3 pts 2 pts 1 pt 0
Practical application is Practical application is Practical application is No discussion
scientifically explained scientifically explained scientifically explained
consistent to the consistent to the consistent to the
concepts, and has no concepts, but with concepts, but with
misconception. minimal misconceptions.
misconception.

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
References

Major Geological Subsystem of Earth, Study.Com, accessed May 30, 2020,

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/720-earth-subsystem-ofearth.html?

Electronic Sources:

https://www.homesciencetools.com/content/reference/mar_biol_mod.pdf

https://www.scribd.com/document/391052079/6-Major-Stages-of-Ocean-Basin-
Evolution

https://www.slideshare.net/akashnair21/origin-and-destruction-of-ocean-floor-ppt-
ocean-floor-evolution-of-ocean-floor-wilson-cycle

https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=AX2228C&sp=yes&

https://www.thoughtco.com/geography-of-the-worlds-oceans-1435193

Images:

https://pt.slideshare.net/PRINCESSinDREAM/oceans-20782225/4

https://www.britannica.com/science/ocean-basin

https://slideplayer.com/slide/8205002/

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/93309023501978582/

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
Answer Key

Activity 1:

Structure of Ocean Description

Basin
A. Continental A steep slope separating a continental shelf and a deep
slope ocean basin

B. Seamount An underwater mountain formed by volcanic activity

C. Abyssal plain Any of the great flat sediment-covered areas of ocean floor

D. Rift Valley A lowland region formed by the interaction of Earth’s

tectonic plates

E. Volcanic island Formed by volcanic activity on the seabed, often near the
boundaries of the tectonic plates that form Earth’s crust

F. Continental shelf Are gently sloping transition between the continental slope
and the deep ocean floor.

G. Trench A steep depression in the deepest parts of the ocean

H. Continental rise The edge of a continent that lies under the ocean

Guide question
1. Ocean basins are the regions that are below sea level. When plates spread
apart, they create gaps where magma from the earth's mantle can rise up
and cool to form structures, such as oceanic ridges, which are continuous
mountain chains located under the surface of the sea.

Activity 2: Mind Map or Storyboard

1. Embryonic stage - Embryonic is the first stage of ocean basin evolution, rift
valley forms as continent begins to split.
Example: East African Valley.

2. Juvenile stage - in this stage, the sea floor basalts begin forming as
continental fragments diverge.

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph
 Example: Red Sea

3. Mature stage - Broad ocean basin widens, trenches eventually develop and
subduction begins.
Example: Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

4. Declining stage - In the declining stage, subduction eliminates much of sea

floor and oceanic ridge.
Example: Pacific Ocean

5. Terminal stage - In this stage, last of the sea floor is eliminated and continents
collide forming a continental mountain chain.
Example: Mediterranean Sea

6. Suturing stage - Also known as continental collision, in this stage the young
mountain will grow and become a mature mountain caused by the collision of
continents.
Example: Himalayas Mountains

Guide questions

1. Ocean basin is any of several vast submarine regions that collectively cover
nearly three-quarters of Earth’s surface.

2. Ocean basins form initially by the stretching and splitting (rifting) of

continental crust and by the rise of mantle material and magma into the
crack to form new oceanic lithosphere.

Author: Carmensita E. Forcadilla

School/Station: General Luna National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: carmensita.forcadilla@deped.gov.ph