Tectonic Plates

Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and metrologist, proposed the Continental Drift Theory in 1912

according to this theory, the Earth was once a single supercontinent called Pangea. Before breaking

up into several small continents. The theory was initially ridiculed because Wagner had not

suggested any mechanism for moving of the continent. He thought the force of the Earth’s spin

was sufficient to cause continents to move. After 5 decades, scientists studied the similarity of

fossil fuel found on separated continent and used it as evidence to support Wegener’s theory. They

called it the theory of plate tectonics, which states that the lithosphere is separated into plates that

move over the asthenosphere.

What are Tectonic Plates?

Tectonic plates are the large, rigid pieces of the Earth’s crust that fit together like a puzzle, covering

the entire surface of the Earth. These plates float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them.

There are about 7 to 8 major plates and many smaller ones. Some of the major tectonic plates

include the Pacific Plate, Eurasian Plate, African Plate, North American Plate, and South American

Plate.

Each plate can carry oceanic crust (like the Pacific Plate) or continental crust (like the Eurasian

Plate), or both. These plates move very slowly, at rates of a few centi-meters per year, but over

millions of years, their movement dramatically changes the surface of the Earth.

The Pacific Plate is the largest tectonic plate (103 million square kilometers), located beneath the

Pacific Ocean (60 million square miles) and responsible for the volcanic activity of the "Ring of

Fire also known as Circum-Pacific Belt."

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The Eurasian Plate covers Europe and northern Asia, contributing to the formation of the

Himalayas through its collision with the Indian Plate.

The African Plate encompasses most of Africa and

extends into the Atlantic Ocean, with the Great Rift

Valley indicating its divergence.

Great Rift Valley

plates meet is called plate boundaries.

Tectonic plates can move towards one another, or pull apart. Parts of one tectonic plate can slide

underneath another, or they can slide past one another.

Divergent Boundaries

• At divergent boundaries, two tectonic plates move away from each other (pull apart).

• This usually happens in the middle of the ocean (formed between two plates) where new

crust is created as magma rises from below the Earth’s surface.

• This creates mid-ocean ridges, like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Atlantic Ocean is

slowly getting wider.

• As magma cools, it forms a new crust, which pushes the older crust apart. This process is

called seafloor spreading.

Convergent Boundaries

• At convergent boundaries, two tectonic plates move toward each other.

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 • When an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, the oceanic plate is forced underneath the

continental plate in a process called subduction. This is because oceanic plates are denser

than continental plates.

• Subduction zones often create deep ocean trenches (like the Mariana Trench in the

western Pacific Ocean) and can also lead to the formation of volcanic mountain ranges

(like the Andes Mountains in South America). The Andes Mountains were formed by the

subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate.

• When two continental plates collide, neither plate sinks. Instead, the crust is forced upward,

forming large mountain ranges like the Himalayas, which formed where the Indian plate

collided with the Eurasian plate.

Transform Boundaries

• At transform boundaries, two plates slide past each other horizontally.

• The movement is not smooth and can cause intense earthquakes as the plates grind against

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 each other. A well-known example of a transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault in

California.

• Transform boundaries don’t create new land or destroy old land, but they do cause

earthquakes.

What Causes Tectonic Plates to Move?

The movement of tectonic plates is caused by forces beneath the Earth’s surface, mainly from the

mantle. These forces include:

1. Mantle Convection

The mantle is a layer of the Earth situated below the crust and above the core, and it behaves like

a thick, slow-moving liquid. This semi-fluid nature is crucial for the movement of tectonic plates.

Heat generated from the Earth's core causes the mantle material to become less dense and rise

toward the surface. As it rises, it cools and becomes more denser, causing it to sink back down.

This continuous process creates convection currents in the mantle. These currents flow in circular

patterns and exert a drag on the tectonic plates resting above. As the mantle moves, it pulls and

pushes the plates, causing them to shift and move across the Earth's surface.

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 2. Ridge Push

At divergent boundaries, where tectonic plates are moving away from each other, new crust is

formed through volcanic activity. As magma rises from the mantle and cools, it solidifies to form

new, hot crust. This newly formed crust is less dense compared to the older crust, causing it to

elevate slightly. The elevation of this hot crust pushes against the older, cooler crust that lies further

away from the ridge. This pushing force, known as ridge push, helps drive the plates apart.

Essentially, the ridge push mechanism assists in spreading the ocean floor and contributes to the

overall movement of tectonic plates by expanding the mid-ocean ridges and pushing the plates

away from these divergent boundaries.

3. Slab Pull

Slab pull occurs at convergent boundaries, where tectonic plates collide, and one plate is forced

beneath another in a process known as subduction. In these areas, a denser oceanic plate sinks into

the mantle beneath a less dense continental or oceanic plate. As the oceanic plate descends, it pulls

the rest of the plate along with it due to its weight and the forces acting on it. This pulling force,

referred to as slab pull, is significant in driving the movement of the tectonic plates. The slab pulls

mechanism helps to drag the tectonic plate down into the mantle, facilitating plate movement and

contributing to the geological activity at convergent boundaries.

Evidence Supporting Plate Tectonics

The theory of plate tectonics is backed by several key pieces of evidence:

Continental Drift

Before the theory of plate tectonics, the idea of continental drift was proposed by Alfred Wegener.

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He noticed that the coastlines of continents like Africa and South America seemed to fit together

like pieces of a puzzle.

Wegener suggested that the continents were once joined together in a supercontinent called

Pangaea and have since drifted apart. Plate tectonics explains this movement through the shifting

of tectonic plates.

Seafloor Spreading

In the mid-20th century, scientists discovered that new oceanic crust was being formed at mid-

ocean ridges, providing direct evidence of plate movement. This process, called seafloor

spreading, shows that the ocean floors are constantly being renewed as tectonic plates move apart.

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur along plate boundaries, where plates interact. For example,

the Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean is a region with many earthquakes and active volcanoes,

caused by the movement of plates around the Pacific Plate.

Fossils and Rock Patterns

Similar fossils and rock formations have been found on continents that are now far apart. For

example, fossils of a freshwater reptile called Mesosaurus have

been found in both South America and Africa, even though these

continents are now separated by the Atlantic Ocean. This

suggests that they were once connected and have since moved

apart.

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