Scribd
Upload
34 views10 pages

Plate Tectonics

The document discusses the theory of plate tectonics, including the composition of tectonic plates and the three types of plate boundaries: constructive, destructive, and passive. Constructive boundaries involve the creation of new crust as plates move apart, destructive involve the destruction of crust as plates converge, and passive involve plates sliding past each other.

Uploaded by

R Durjoy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
34 views10 pages

Plate Tectonics

The document discusses the theory of plate tectonics, including the composition of tectonic plates and the three types of plate boundaries: constructive, destructive, and passive. Constructive boundaries involve the creation of new crust as plates move apart, destructive involve the destruction of crust as plates converge, and passive involve plates sliding past each other.

Uploaded by

R Durjoy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

Theory of Plate Tectonics

 Plate Tectonics
A. Theory of plate tectonics is the idea that the Earth’s crust and upper
mantle are broken into sections called plates that move around on the
mantle. Plate boundaries mark the sites of the worlds major
landforms, and they are also areas where mountain-building,
volcanoes, and earth quakes can be found.

B. Composition of the Earth’s plates:


1. Lithosphere – the crust and part of the upper mantle
2. Asthenosphere – the plastic-like layer below the lithosphere
Tectonic Plates
There are a dozen large lithospheric plates (smaller plates
not shown).
Some plates have continents; some don’t. All are in motion.
Plate Boundaries
 There are three different plate boundaries:

Constructive margins
Destructive margins
Passive margins
Constructive margins
 Constructive margins occurs where two
plates that are diverging, or moving away
from each other. They are mainly found
between oceanic plates, and are
consequently underwater features. Rift
valleys (a crustal extension) are initially
develop, but molten rock from the mantle
(magma) rises to fill any possible gaps.
Constructive margins are often marked by
oceanic ridges (Mid Atlantic ridge, the
east Pacific Rise). The rising magma
forms submarine volcanoes, which in
time may grow above sea level (e.g.
Iceland and Ascension Island on the Mid
Atlantic Ridge)
Destructive margins

 Destructive margins occurs where the boundaries between two


plates that are converging, or moving towards each other. The
Pacific Ocean is virtually surrounded by destructive plate margins
with their associated features, and its perimeter has become known
as the Pacific Ring of Fire.

 There are three types of convergent boundaries:


1. An ocean floor plate collides with a less dense continental plate.
2. An ocean floor plate collides with another ocean floor plate.
3. A continental plate collides with another continental plate.
 Oceanic-Continental

Oceanic-Oceanic 

 Continental-Continental
Passive margins
 Passive margins occurs where two plates that are sliding
horizontally past one another and crust is neither created
nor destroyed. The boundary between the two plates is
characterized by pronounced transform faults, which lies
parallel to the plate boundary. As the plates slide past each
other, friction builds up and causes the plates to stick, and
release in the form of earthquakes.
Effects of Plate Tectonics
 Landforms caused by plate tectonics:
a. rift valleys (divergent boundaries)
b. mountain ranges (continental-continental
convergent boundaries)
c. volcanoes (oceanic-continental
convergent boundaries)
d. faults (transform boundaries)
Causes of Plate Tectonics
 Convection Current is the driving force of
plate tectonics in which hot, plastic-like
material from the mantle rises to the
lithosphere, moves horizontally, cools, and
sinks back to the mantle.
 The convection currents provide enough
energy to move the plates in the lithosphere.
Quick Review of Plate Boundaries

You might also like