Plate Tectonics
Tomorrow: Quiz – WOE? – Pages 12-14
NEXT Tuesday – Test – Chapter 4
NEXT Wednesday – Bring 50 index cards.
Plate Tectonics = Continental Drift + Sea Floor Spreading + Subduction Subduction is the process by which the old ocean floor is recycled. It is the balancing process for SFS. The place where two tectonic plates touch is called a plate boundary. The type of boundary depends on how the tectonic plate is moving relative to one another.
Earthquakes may occur at all three types of plate boundaries. Tectonic Plate movement is measured in centimeters per year.
Description of Plate Boundary: Tectonic Plates are moving away from each other Occurs at Mid Ocean Ridges (New ocean floor is being
produced)
Direction of Movement:
Sketch of Boundary: (See pages 108-109)
Examples: African/Arabian Plates Iceland
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are sliding past each other horizontally Crust is neither created nor destroyed
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (See pages 108-109)
Examples San Andreas Fault (Pacific and North American Plates are sliding past
each other)
www.geology.com
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are colliding Older more dense plate is subducted (Ocean floor is
recycled)
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (Oceanic – Oceanic)
(See pages 108-109)
Examples
Can produce a string of islands (Japan)
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html & http://www.geology.com
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are colliding Oceanic Plate is subducted (Ocean floor is recycled)
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (Oceanic - Continental) See pages 108-109
Examples Mountain Ranges and Volcanoes (Mount St. Helens) West Coast of N. and S. America
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html & http://www.geology.com
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are colliding Edges of Continents fold upward to form large mountain
ranges.
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (Continental- Continental) (See pages 108-109)
Examples Himalayas
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html & http://www.geology.com
Ridge Push
1.
Occurs at a MOR, the oceanic lithosphere is higher and therefore slides down hill under the force of gravity.
Convection
2.
Hot rock rises, cool rock sinks causing the lithosphere to move sideways away from the MOR.
Slab Pull
3.
Oceanic lithosphere is denser, it sinks and pulls the rest of the plate with it.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/unanswered.html
Tomorrow: Quiz – WOE? – Pages 12-14
NEXT Tuesday – Test – Chapter 4
NEXT Wednesday – Bring 50 index cards.
Plate Tectonics = Continental Drift + Sea Floor Spreading + Subduction Subduction is the process by which the old ocean floor is recycled. It is the balancing process for SFS. The place where two tectonic plates touch is called a plate boundary. The type of boundary depends on how the tectonic plate is moving relative to one another.
Earthquakes may occur at all three types of plate boundaries. Tectonic Plate movement is measured in centimeters per year.
Description of Plate Boundary: Tectonic Plates are moving away from each other Occurs at Mid Ocean Ridges (New ocean floor is being
produced)
Direction of Movement:
Sketch of Boundary: (See pages 108-109)
Examples: African/Arabian Plates Iceland
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are sliding past each other horizontally Crust is neither created nor destroyed
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (See pages 108-109)
Examples San Andreas Fault (Pacific and North American Plates are sliding past
each other)
www.geology.com
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are colliding Older more dense plate is subducted (Ocean floor is
recycled)
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (Oceanic – Oceanic)
(See pages 108-109)
Examples
Can produce a string of islands (Japan)
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html & http://www.geology.com
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are colliding Oceanic Plate is subducted (Ocean floor is recycled)
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (Oceanic - Continental) See pages 108-109
Examples Mountain Ranges and Volcanoes (Mount St. Helens) West Coast of N. and S. America
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html & http://www.geology.com
Description of Plate Boundary Tectonic Plates are colliding Edges of Continents fold upward to form large mountain
ranges.
Direction of Movement
Sketch of Boundary (Continental- Continental) (See pages 108-109)
Examples Himalayas
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html & http://www.geology.com
Ridge Push
1.
Occurs at a MOR, the oceanic lithosphere is higher and therefore slides down hill under the force of gravity.
Convection
2.
Hot rock rises, cool rock sinks causing the lithosphere to move sideways away from the MOR.
Slab Pull
3.
Oceanic lithosphere is denser, it sinks and pulls the rest of the plate with it.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/unanswered.html
