Download John "Zack" Smith`s Paper

John Z. Smith
Planet Earth Project
Team Maloney/Maurone
My Doctoral Dissertation on Plate Tectonics
During the first semester it was proposed that I, John Zachariah Smith, would become the
foremost leading expert on everything plate tectonics. I am not. However, I did manage to
become a veritable sponge on the matter of plate tectonics absorbing all information that
happened to cross my path thereby increasing my knowledge by ten fold and guaranteeing me full
credit on this, my future plate tectonics masterpiece. After countless hours perusing various books
at the library I found that the best way to learn about this wacky world we call plate tectonics is
hands on. MUSEUM HO!!!!!! And so begins our journey into everything and anything that is
plate tectonics. Hold on to your socks boys and girls, it is going to be a wild ride.
The theory of plate tectonics states that earth’s outermost layer is made up of numerous
giant slabs of rock. These giant plates vary in shape and size moving along a hotter material
causing the plates to grind against each other. The plates are almost dancing with each other, a
plate tectonics tango of sorts. This theory helps explain the idea of Pangaea. Pangaea is the theory
that early on in earth’s history the continents were all joined together in a super continent. Many
scientists found evidence that this so called Pangaea was a very strong possibility. Vegetation and
animal fossils found in Antarctica seemed to prove that it was closer to the equator at some point.
Also, glacial deposits were found in South Africa as well. Still, how could such giant pieces of
rock move such far distances? Amtrak could clearly not be called upon to transport these suckers.
There was something else at work, something that could not be seen by any old Joe Bagadonuts
from Middletown, USA. The scientific world needed a superhero. Superman? The Green
Lantern? Robin? Wonder Woman? Well, they would be nice but they would have to settle for
Alfred Wegener. Wegener contended that Pangaea broke into two major landmasses around 200
million years ago. He spent his life trying to prove the theory of continental drift that is best
explained by plate tectonics and eventually died crossing the Greenland ice cap in attempts to
further prove his brilliant theory. He will be missed.
Even to the untrained eye it can be seen that the continents almost look as if they are part
of some sort of oversized floor puzzle on this restaurant ground we call Earth. The molten layer
under the plates is the cause of why the plates shift. When two plates collide they can create
earthquakes, mountains, or trenches. These plates are the cause of the earth’s bad complexion.
Earthquakes are bad. After much research it was found that these “bad earthquakes” are caused
near oceanic trenches and spreading ridges. This helped prove the theory that the seafloor is
spreading and therefore slowly moving the plates further apart. What a breakthrough!!!!!!!!
There are four types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, transform, and plate
boundary zones. Divergent boundaries are boundaries in which plates are moving apart from each
other and magma is pushing upwards causing new crust to be formed. Convergent boundaries are
the places where the plates collide and sometimes sink under each other to form trenches or push
upwards to form mountains. These boundaries explain why the Earth is not growing bigger. The
earth is destroying crust just as fast as it is creating new crust. Transform boundaries occur when
two plates merely slide horizontally to each other. These cause earthquakes and as stated above
earthquakes are bad. And by bad I mean mega ultra uncool. Plate boundary zones are more
difficult to explain because it is unclear what occurs at these boundaries. They occur over a broad
area so it is harder to see direct effects of what is resulting.
I learned a lot from my trip to the museum over break. So much in fact that it cannot be
compiled into such a short assignment. I gave you the broad overview of the main facts because I
fear that if I gave all that I learned it could not be comprehended. I literally absorbed too much
information. The continental drift theory is a tricky one to grasp but my 859 IQ and me were able
to grasp the main concepts. Plate tectonics is an exciting, mind-boggling, and delicious topic to
discuss on my Planet Earth project. I understand if there is not a suitable grade to give this paper
as to the fact that A++++++++++++++++++++++++++ would not be fair to the other students
who attempted to match my intellectual prowess. So mind boggling in fact that I must take a nap
as to not over exert my brain and myself…please hold…..OK I am back. Thank you for holding.
Although there is some humor inserted in this project I hope you do realize that I did put effort
into this and I did get information out of it.