Download Plate Tectonics

Plate Tectonics Notes
Notes
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Gif/PlateTectonics/Maps/map_plate_tectonics_world.gif
Plate Tectonics
• Theory of Plate Tectonics –
• explains the way that
continents separated into
today’s land masses from
Pangea
• The study of plate movement
and the features that they
affect.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/images/convectioncurrent.gif
Major Plates
The lithosphere is broken
into 8 major plates
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Eurasian
African
Indo-Australian
Pacific
North American
South American
Antarctic
Nazca
Find the 7 Major Plates
When plates move
they cause:
• Ocean basins
– (anywhere on Earth covered by ocean water)
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Mountain Ranges
Islands
Volcanoes
Earthquakes
Ocean Basin
5 Major OceansPacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Southern Ocean
Arctic Ocean
All Ocean water
What features do you think are formed
at each of the following boundaries?
http://www.belmont.sd62.bc.ca/teacher/geology12/photos/tectonics/Plate%20Boundaries.jp
Types of Plate Boundaries
http://www.n-d-a.org/images/tectonic-plate-boundaries.jpg
Convergent Boundary
• Subduction – When
the denser plate slides
under the less dense
plate
• Volcanoes and
frequent earthquakes
occur at the
boundaries
http://tasaclips.com/illustrations/Convergent_Boundary.jpg
Convergent Boundary
• Folded Mountains occur when
2 continental plates collide
http://tasaclips.com/illustrations/Convergent_Boundary.jpg
Divergent Boundary
c
• Plate move away
from each other
• Form ocean basins
• Rift Valleys
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ejqMoM1Uaa4/Sh6ZE5I2tiI/AAAAAAAAADU/7jMa6rVEIXU/s320/db.jpg
Rift Valley formed
Transform Boundary
• Plates slide past one
another
• causes earthquakes
• It doesn’t destroy or
build Earth’s crust.
• San Andreas Fault
is an example of this
boundary.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/pltec/SAtransform244x201.gif
SAN ANDREAS FAULT
Find the Plate Boundaries
Seismic Activity