Plate Tectonics
PLATE TECTONIC THEORY
- states that the Earth’s crust is composed of several broken plates that continuously move either away, past,
or towards each other.
- A theory proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 1900s. It states that the lithosphere is made up of several
large slabs of rocks, otherwise known as plates, that are constantly moving. One of the foundational works to
this theory is the first world atlas, “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum,” which was developed by Abraham Ortelius on
January 1, 1596.
- The Earth's crust and upper mantle are broken into sections called plates
2 Types of Classification of the Earth’s Layers
a. Compositional/Chemical Classification
- Crust
- Mantle
- Core
b. Mechanical Classification
- Lithosphere (10 - 200km) : Outermost layer of the Earth. It contains the crust and the topmost layer of the mantle.
- Asthenosphere (660km) : It contains the same materials as the topmost layer of the mantle but the heat and pressure are
increased.
- Mesosphere (2.900km) : A rigid layer of the Earth because of the pressure present in the layer that restricts the
movement of the molecules.
- Outer core (5,100km) : A liquid layer of the Earth. The metals in this layer are liquefied because of the extremely high
temperature of the layer.
- Inner core : It is the innermost layer of the Earth. It is mostly composed of metals but is in solid form because of the high
pressure and heat found in the layer
2 types of plates
- Ocean plates : plates below the oceans
- Continental plates : plates below the continents
Plate Boundaries
- divergent : wherein plates move away from each other and new crust is forming from magma that rises to the Earth’s surface
between the two plates. An example is African Rift Valley. Tensional stress happens here.
- convergent : where two plates are moving toward each other, a zone where plates collide. An example is the Philippine plate and the
Eurasian plate. Compressive stress happens at convergent plate boundaries; also called destructive plate boundary (because of
subduction)
- transform : where plates slide past each. The best example of this is the San Andreas fault.
When the plates move they collide or spread apart allowing the very hot molten material called lava to escape from the mantle. When
collisions occur they produce mountains, deep underwater valleys called trenches, and volcanoes. As mountains and valleys are being
formed natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic activity can occur which have affected humans for thousands of years.
Cause of Plate Tectonics
Convection Currents
- Convection occurs when materials move in currents due to differences in heat and density. During
convection, heated particles begin to circulate, and hot particles move to the top while cold particles
move to the bottom. Inside Earth's mantle, when pieces of rock and crust become very hot and less
dense, they rise, whereas the cooling parts of the mantle at the surface become less dense and sink.
Subduction zone
Where two tectonic plates meet at a subduction zone, one bends and slides underneath the other, curving down
into the mantle. (The mantle is the hotter layer under the crust.)
Tectonic plates can transport both continental crust and oceanic crust, or they may be made of only one kind
of crust. Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust. At a subduction zone, the oceanic crust usually sinks
into the mantle beneath the lighter continental crust. (Sometimes, oceanic crust may grow so old and dense
that it collapses and spontaneously forms a subduction zone, scientists think.)
Subduction zones occur all around the edge of the Pacific Ocean, offshore of Washington, Canada, Alaska, Russia,
Japan and Indonesia. Called the "Ring of Fire," these subduction zones are responsible for the world's biggest
earthquakes, the most terrible tsunamis and some of the worst volcanic eruptions.
