1 / 25

Plate Tectonics

sen
Download Presentation

Plate Tectonics

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. 1 Plate Tectonics Integrated Science 1

    2. 2 What is Plate Tectonics? Modern theory used to explain how Earth’s physical features (geology and geography) have formed.

    3. 3 Layers of the Earth

    4. 4 Layers of the Earth Lithosphere: crust and upper part of mantle Asthenosphere: mantle beneath lithosphere

    5. 5 Layers of the Earth Crust: Thin rock layer; forms oceanic and continental plates Mantle: Molten rock layer; flows slowly and smoothly

    6. 6 Layers of the Earth Outer Core: slow moving liquid iron and nickel Inner Core: solid iron and nickel under intense heat and pressure

    7. 7 Layers of the Earth Earth’s lithosphere is made of several plates that move because of convection currents in the asthenosphere.

    8. 8 Earth’s Plates

    9. 9 History of Plate Tectonics In 1915, German geologist Dr. Alfred Wegener proposed an idea called the Theory of Continental Drift.

    10. 10 History of Plate Tectonics He believed all continents were joined together about 250 million years ago as a megacontinent Pangaea (“all land”).

    11. 11 History of Plate Tectonics He also believed all of Earth’s water was one large ocean called Panthalassa (“all sea”).

    12. 12 History of Plate Tectonics Most of Wegener’s ideas were rejected because he could not explain why Pangaea split apart.

    13. 13 History of Plate Tectonics New evidence to support Wegener’s idea was discovered in the 1960s, leading to the development of the modern Theory of Plate Tectonics.

    14. 14 Supporting Evidence Continental Shelf Fit Continents appear to fit together. Paleoclimate Glacier patterns indicate Pangaea existed near the South Pole.

    15. 15 Supporting Evidence Fossils Similar fossils are found in both South America and Africa. Rocks Mountain ranges appear to extend across continents.

    16. 16 Supporting Evidence Paleomagnetism Magnetic patterns in rocks indicate continental shift. Seafloor Spreading Ocean crust is younger than continental crust.

    17. 17 Supporting Evidence Earthquake Patterns Most earthquakes occur along plate boundaries. Volcanic Hot Spots Rising plumes of mantle create volcanic chains that mark plate movement.

    18. 18 Plate Boundary Interactions Divergent Boundary: Plates move apart as magma rises to surface Forms ridges, rises, and rifts

    19. 19 Plate Boundary Interactions

    20. 20 Plate Boundary Interactions Convergent Boundary: Plates collide creating subduction zones (areas where crust is forced into the asthenosphere and melted)

    21. 21 Plate Boundary Interactions Ocean-Continent Convergence: Subduction of ocean crust Forms volcanic mountains

    22. 22 Plate Boundary Interactions

    23. 23 Plate Boundary Interactions Ocean-Ocean Convergence: Subduction of oceanic crust Forms island arcs and trenches

    24. 24 Plate Boundary Interactions Continental-Continental Convergence: Suture zones are created Form mountain ranges Suture zones occur because the continental plates have similar rock densities, making subduction impossible.Suture zones occur because the continental plates have similar rock densities, making subduction impossible.

    25. 25 Plate Boundary Interactions Transform Fault Systems: Plates slide past each other creating fault zones Causes earthquakes

    26. 26 Plate Boundary Interactions

More Related