Download Cornell Notes 7-3

CORNELL NOTES
Topic/Objective:
7-3 Theory of Plate Tectonics
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Essential Question:
How does the theory of plate tectonics explain how Earth’s features were formed?
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Notes:
Theory of Plate Tectonics: the Earth’s crust & upper mantle are broken into
pieces, called plates which move slowly on a plasticlike layer of the mantle.
Lithosphere: Earth’s crust & upper mantle (100km thick, less dense)
Asthenosphere: The plasticlike layer of the mantle which the lithosphere floats
upon
Plate Boundaries: Places where the meet & move against each other
•Transform: plates slide past each other, often causing earthquakes
•Divergent: where plates move apart (mid-ocean ridge, Great Rift Valley)
•Convergent: where plates move together (deep-ocean trench, mountains)
Ocean vs. Ocean: the most dense plate sinks under the least dense plate.
Ocean vs. Continent: ocean plate subducts under the continent
Continent vs. Continent: the crumple & form mountains (Himalayas)
Convection Currents: Cycle of heating, rising, cooling & sinking. Occurring in
the Earth’s mantle. This drives the plate movement.
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