Plate tectonics the tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries. Ice movements desert tropics glacial other paleoclimatic evidence includes deposits of coal, desert sandstone, rock salt, windblown sand, gypsum, and glacial deposits. The theory of plate tectonics grew out of earlier hypotheses and observations collected during exploration of the rocks of the ocean floor. Plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated. Divergent occurs when two tectonic plates move away from the other. Organization of the tectonic plates in the last 200myr ftp directory. Plate motion can be described by a pole of rotation and an angular velocity about this pole. Midocean ridges are essentially submerged mountain.
The outer layer of the earth consists of tectonic plates that interact with each other at their boundaries. The role of plate tectonicclimate coupling and exposed land. Tectonic plates are moving slowly, rubbing against each other or even in opposite directions, which is what causes the majority of the earths seismic and volcanic activity. Plate tectonics, our major paradigm for how the earth works, was established in the 1960ies following decades of observational research that culminated in key discoveries such as geomagnetic. This skin is cracked, and each section moves over and under other sections. While we use gps in our phones and cars, we are mostly unaware of how it works.
This is caused by the earths plates converging, diverging or transversing against one another. Describe how convection currents might be the cause of plate tectonics. Understanding plate motions this dynamic earth, usgs. The theory has caused a revolution in the way we think about the earth. A transform plate boundary occurs when two plates slide past each other. They are thicker than the ones that lie under oceans. Plate boundary movements and their results foldable. Plate tectonics and the cycling of earth materials plate tectonics drives the rock cycle. The three types of plate movement are divergent, convergent and transform plate boundaries. Mar 21, 2020 plate tectonics, theory dealing with the dynamics of earths outer shell that revolutionized earth sciences by providing a uniform context for understanding mountainbuilding processes, volcanoes, and earthquakes as well as the evolution of earths surface and reconstructing its past continents and oceans. This tectonic cycle has influenced the distribution of organisms and greatly affected the history. The types of plate tectonic boundares are divergent, convergent and transform conservative. The theory encompasses the older concepts of continental drift, developed.
Describe the effects of plate tectonics found at each type of boundary. Major geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, midocean ridges, and mountain formation are associated with plate boundaries and attributed to plate motions a. Key study guide for determining plate boundaries mid 5th 6 weeks test. These plates fit together like a puzzle surrounding the earth. When compared to a map of tectonic plates, this ring of fire lines up almost perfectly. Plate tectonics map of the world, showing plates, boundaries, boundary types and more.
Lesson 1 the earth is cracking up lesson at a glance lesson 1 introduces the concept that the earth is not solid, and that the crust is like a thin skin fl oating on top of a hot, taffylike body of magma. Oreo cookies and plate tectonics amateur geologists can simulate how plates move on the earths surface. The lithosphere is broken into sections called plates, which float on top of the. Its the third largest, being slightly smaller than the pacific plate and north american plate. Plate convergence vectors referenced from united states geological survey. The plates make up earths outer shell, called the lithosphere. Model of hot rock moving under earths crust convection and model of earths tectonic plates moving because of. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. The eurasian plate is a plate tectonic boundary consisting most of europe, russia and china.
Aug 12, 20 the biggest jigsaw puzzle in the solar system has a split personality. During the movement of the indian plate towards the asiatic plate, a major event that occurred was the outpouring of lava and formation of the deccan traps shield volcano. Plate movement that produces stress in rock, which leads to a change in the rocks shape or. Earths tectonic plates have doubled their speed new scientist. Tectonic movement plates and faults owen kane the tectonic movement of the earths plates has resulted in the folding and faulting of the earths crust. The number and sizes of earths tectonic plates can flip, according to a new study today, the pieces of earths broken. Not all plate boundaries are as simple as the main types discussed above. Earths shifting tectonic plates national geographic society. Compare and contrast divergent, convergent, and book f 43. Some of the worksheets below are tectonic plates worksheets, predicting tectonic activity, definition of plate composition, plate movement, types of plate boundary, continentcontinent collision, handson activities, with colorful diagrams along with questions and answers at.
Plate tectonics the earths crust is divided into 12 major plates which are moved in various directions. Surface observations and seismic waves showed that the earths interior was solid. Describe how the ideas behind plate tectonics started with alfred wegeners hypothesis of continental drift. The theory that the earth is broken into plates and are in motion due to convection currents in the asthenosphere upper mantle. Nonplate tectonic styles were probably dominated by single lid tectonics and this evolved as earth cooled and its lithosphere thickened. The plates are around 100 km 62 mi thick and consist of two principal types of material. Even though their movements are very slow, we can track them with extremely precise gps measurements. Nov 09, 2016 tectonic plates, the massive slabs of earths lithosphere that help define our continents and ocean, are constantly on the move. This is a revised version cleaning up the graphics and the scriptnarration. This grade 6 earth science plate tectonics unit focuses on plate tectonics and addresses the california science standards for 6th grade for the topic of plate tectonics and investigation and experimentation. Ocean trenches are narrow, deep depressions on the ocean floor. How would solid material accomodate movement in this solid body. After millions of years, the oldest, coolest parts of the plate sink back into the mantle, where they remelt again.
Currently, the somali plate is moving away from continental africa at a very small pace which equates to around 20 millimeters per annum. Bring the bottom of your paper up so that it almost meets the top of your page about 1 to 2 cm away from the top. Plates are composed of the crust and a part of the upper mantle, these two parts together. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the earths lithosphere is broken into distinct plates which are. Most geophysicists opposed the hypothesis of plate tectonics in the early 1900s, even as late as the 1960s. This supports the idea that plate movement causes earthquakes and volcanos. This section provides access to a wide array of visualizations and supporting material that can be used effectively to teach students about plate tectonic movements. As two adjacent plates move across the asthenosphere. Plate tectonics plate tectonics articles, theory, plate diagrams, maps, teaching ideas. In this lesson, we explore the causes of plate movement, including thermal convection, ridge push and slab pull. Theory explaining these movements of plates is known as. This is a list of tectonic plates on the earths surface. This plate motion causes them to collide, pull apart, or scrape against each other. Tectonic movement article about tectonic movement by the.
The plates move seemingly independently, which indicates. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. The northward movement of the indian tectonic plate pushing slowly against the asiatic plate is evident by the frequent earthquakes in the region. A major geological system is the tectonic system that involves the movement of lithospheric plates. Tectonic plates plate boundary referenced from bird, peter 2003 an updated digital model of plate boundaries. Pdf critical analysis of the plate tectonics model and causes of. The worlds great mountain ranges were formed when plates collided and the rock had nowhere to go but up. The somali plate is a minor tectonic plate encompassing the african country of somalia.
Critical analysis of the plate tectonics model and causes of horizontal tectonic movements. Jan 23, 2017 cal poly respect lesson for 4th grade. Nov 17, 2014 this movement between cooler and warmer mantle plume create the crculation inside the mantle as convection cells. Types of plate boundaries map identification activity.
The theory of plate tectonics describes how the plates move, interact, and change the physical landscape. Lithosphere is divided into plates that slide around on top of the slowly moving mesosphere tectonic plates it occurred after. At plate boundaries, plates collide, move apart, move under or over each other, or slide past one another. Over millions of years, though, those centimeters add up. Three of the forces that have been proposed as the main drivers of tectonic plate movement are. The tectonic plates that lie under land are called continental plates. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia plate tectonics from greek, tekton builder or mason describes the large scale motions of earths lithosphere. Describe the physical and chemical layers of the earth and how they affect plate movement. There are a number of competing theories that attempt to explain what drives the movement of tectonic plates. Tectonic plates or huge slabs of solid rocks separate, collide, and slide past each other causing earthquakes, feeding volcanic eruptions, and raising mountains. Earths surface layer, 50 to 100 km 30 to 60 miles thick, is rigid and is composed of a set of large and small plates. State the theory of plate tectonics and apply it to stress and deformation.
Because earths tectonic plate boundaries often consist of continent and ocean crust, the eurasian plate contains parts of the atlantic and arctic ocean. The movements of these plates can be measured using gps. I believe one of the 4 plate movements may be a subcategory of another. However, after reading about your success and what your program has done for others, it inspired me to do better and aim for the best results. Plate tectonics i grades 9 overview unifying concepts and lesson introduces students to geological oceanography by presenting the basic structure of the earth and the properties of arths primary layers. If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Feb 26, 1998 tectonic plate motion introduction tectonic motion for points around the world can be estimated from a variety of space geodetic technologies e. Tectonic plates reading material grades 68 printable. What are tectonic plates tectonic movement dk find out. That conveyer belt drives the movement of the plates. Nov, 2012 our earth is made of large pieces land masses called plates. Use the table below to draw arrows indicating the direction of plate movement at each boundary. Hence, over geological timescales the movement of plates and continents has a profound effect on the distribution of land masses, mountain ranges and the connectivity of the oceans.
Types of plate boundaries map identification directions a 1. Tectonic movements result in the deformation of the rocks making up the crust and are usually associated with a change in the chemical composition, phase state mineral composition, and internal structure of the rocks subjected to deformation. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Crust mantle core crust lithosphere plate movement the crust is broken into plates that move.
Earths crust is cracked into big pieces called tectonic plates. The overall increase in the rate of plate motion with time seems real and believable, he says, and could well be linked to changes in. Our earth is made of large pieces land masses called plates. I deleted the original version, which had 17,110 views, 4 comments, 81 thumbs ups. A tectonic plate is defined as a portion of the outer shell.
Continental drift and plate tectonics university of iceland. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the earth move and deform. Other life dispersed to new areas as continents reconnected, oceans narrowed, or chains of volcanic islands formed. Plate tectonics accounts for important features of the earths surface and. Tectonic plates push and pull against each other like bumper cars, and are responsible for some of earths major features. The plates move seemingly independently, which indicates that the system is dynamic, i. Plate tectonics describes the distribution and motion of the plates. The mechanism power of the movement of tectonic plates part. Convergence data are shown by arrows describing direction and speed, relative to the plate across the boundary. Tectonic plates are pieces of earths crust and uppermost mantle, together referred to as the lithosphere. As a consequence, plate tectonics has a very direct and fundamental influence on global climate. Lightly shade in each tectonic lithospheric plate with a different color if possible.
Geological features of divergent plate boundaries our mission is to provide a free, worldclass education to anyone, anywhere. These land masses move around the way bath toys move around in the bathtub. Lithosphere is divided into plates that slide around on top of the slowly moving mesosphere tectonic plates it occurred after the breakup of pangaea, and since then the continents. Students learn the structure and composition of oceanic and continental crust and the theory of plate tectonics. By using gps, we know they move only about 510 cm every year. Which of the following is true about the movement of continents. Explain that the lithosphere and the asthenosphere are involved in plate movement.
Geological survey map of tectonic plates show 21 of the major plates, as well as their movements and boundaries. Plate tectonics by combining the sea floor spreading theory with continental drift and information on global seismicity, the new theory of plate tectonics became a coherent theory to explain crustal movements. Plate movement 200 million years ago to today dataset. The earth is composed of layers of different composition and physical properties, principally the solid central core, the fluid peripheral core, the viscous mantle, and the solid. Beneath the crust is a hot ductile layer of the upper mantle called the figure 22. How does a gps transmitter work on studying plate movements. This convection cell can be a very well driving forces behind the movement of tectonic plates above asthenosphere. Study notes on plate movement free pdf file sharing. Guess the location of the midatlantic ridge then check your answer with the teacher. Plate movement 200 million years ago to today description our planets surface has been shaped and reshaped by plate tectonics through cycles of supercontinent amalgamation and breakup. Gps uses a system of satellites to triangulate the position of a receiver. The ring of fire is a term given to a circular region on a world map that has a lot of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Its like a giant conveyor belt, explains geophysicist kerry key at the scripps institution of oceanography. The lithosphere lithosphere is comprised of the upper mantle and the crust, the outer shell of the earth.
Plate tectonics theory, diagrams, boundaries geology. Tectonic plates california institute of technology. A plate tectonic model for the paleozoic and mesozoic. Tetrahedron map by ngsdc paste scissors crayons background. A continental plate collides with an oceanic plate at what type of boundary. For the maps, you should know the layers of the earth and be able to name all the major tectonic plates and where they are, as well as plate boundary movement. Together, these plates constitute the lithosphere, from the greek lithos, meaning rock. In essence, plate tectonic theory is elegantly simple. This collection is not exhaustive but does represent some of the best sources for. In 1967, mckenzie and parker suggested the theory of plate tectonics. At the end of this chapter, students should be able to.
As they move, plates interact at their edges or boundaries. Plate tectonics summary the earth is made up of 3 main layers core, mantle, crust on the surface of the earth are tectonic plates that slowly move around the globe plates are made of crust and upper mantle lithosphere there are 2 types of plate there are 3 types of plate boundaries volcanoes and earthquakes are closely. Identify the kinds of lithosphere that make up tectonic plates. Teaching plate tectonics with easytodraw illustrations is fun and effective. Aug 27, 2014 earths tectonic plates have doubled their speed. Finding identical or similar fossils in areas separated by vast distances were some of the first clues that scientists used to reconstruct past plate movement. Visualizations include simple animations, gisbased animated maps, paleogeographic maps and globes, as well as numerous illustrations and photos. The structure of the earth, plate tectonics and landforms. Minor tectonic plates by size somali plate 16,700,000 sq km. Tectonic movement definition of tectonic movement by the. Key study guide for determining plate boundaries mid 5th 6 weeks test 1. In some regions, the boundaries are not well defined because the plate movement deformation occurring there extends over a broad belt called a plate boundary zone. Aug 17, 2009 before coming across your guide, i wasnt highly motivated to study nor confident that i would achieve the best grades in my gcses.
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