Plate Tectonics: Unraveling Earth's Puzzle

1. Plate tectonics By: Matt H.

2. U.S. Map http://www.google.com/imghp

3. History of Pangea • Alfred Wenegeroriginated the theory of continental shift in 1915 • He suggested continents plowed through ocean basins which would explain the puzzle fit of coastlines • This theory was not accepted by scientists at first at the time they believed the Earth had its features because of heating and cooling • Pangea originates from ancient greek and means “entire” • http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html

4. Alfred Weneger http://www.google.com/imghp

5. History of Pangea (Cont.) • Pangea existed in the Paleozoic and the Mezozoic eras • Around the time of wenegers discovery other scientists believed the Earth had its features because of heating and cooling • Alfred Wegener also earned his doctorate degree for astronomy, I think this helped him in how he understood how the Earth was • madehttp://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html

6. History of Pangea (cont.) • Wegener credited Roberto Montavani and William Henry Pickering for their similar ideas Roberto had found similar formulations in the continents • http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html

7. Convergent Boundary • Convergent Boundary is an active deforming region where two or more tectonic plates moved and hit each other • This formed mountains and volcanoes • There is a boundary in South America where both the Nazca and South American faults are involved • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_boundary

8. Oceanic Continental Boundary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_boundary

9. Continental-Continental http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_boundary

10. Oceanic-Oceanic convergence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_boundary

11. Divergent Boundaries • A Divergent Boundary is a space between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other • Divergent Boundaries are related to Mountains Volcanoes and lava flow • A known Divergent Boundary is the Alfaja Rift Valley Which involves the Eurasian and North American continental Tectonic Plates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergent_boundary

12. Transform Boundaries • A Transform Boundaries is a fault that runs along the boundary of a tectonic plate • Transform Boundaries are related to causing earthquakes, Landslides, Trenches, and Mudslides • A known Transform Boundary is the Alpine fault which runs along New Zealand’s coastline and is 500 miles longhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transform_boundary

13. Real World Connections • We live on the North American Plate • We are bordered by the African, Pacific, Filipino, Eurasian, and Caribean plates • As of right now we and the U.S. are not in any immediate danger related to plate tectonics • I believe the plates could all morph into one and create super earthquakes or create super volcanoes in the distant future • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics H

14. Volcanoe http://www.google.com/imghp

15. Mudslide http://www.google.com/imghp

16. EarthQuake http://www.google.com/imghp

17. Mountain http://www.google.com/imghp

18. Trench http://www.google.com/imghp

19. Landslide http://www.google.com/imghp