Download plate tectonics - Moore Middle School

Theory of Plate Tectonics
“The Earth is like a cracked
eggshell!”
Lithosphere
 The lithosphere is
broken into
separate sections
called plates.
 The plates carry
the continents, the
ocean floor or
both.
Theory of Plate Tectonics
 Plate Tectonics is the
geological theory that
states that pieces of
Earth’s lithosphere are in
constant motion, driven by
convection currents in the
mantle.
 The theory of plate
tectonics explains the
formation, movement, and
subduction of Earth’s
plates
Plate Movement
 No plate can budge
without affecting the
other plates
surrounding it.
 As plates move, the
changes include
volcanoes, mountain
ranges, deep-sea
trenches, and
earthquakes.
Plate Boundaries
 Transform Boundaries
 Along a transform
boundary, crust is neither
created nor destroyed.
 A place where two plates
slip past each other,
moving in opposite
directions.
Plate Boundaries
 Divergent Boundaries
 The place where two
plates move apart is
called a divergent
boundary.
 Most divergent
boundaries occur at the
mid-ocean ridge.
 On land, a divergent
boundary is called a rift
valley.
Plate Boundaries
 Convergent Boundaries
 The place where two
plates come together, or
converge.
 When two plates collide,
the density of the plates
determines which one
comes out on top.
The Moving
Plates
 The plates
are still
moving at a
rate of about
1-10
centimeters
per year!
Name the Plates