PLATE TECTONICS

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 What is Plate Tectonics?
Plate tectonics is a theory that suggests that the Earth's
outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the
mantle, the rocky inner layer above the core. The plates
act like a hard and rigid shell. This strong outer layer is
called the lithosphere, which is about 100 km thick. The
lithosphere includes the crust and outer part of the
mantle. Below the lithosphere is the asthenosphere,
which is partially malleable (plastic), allowing the
lithosphere to move around.
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 What is a Theory?
The previous slide stated that “Plate tectonics is a
theory” Question: Why do you think we are talking here
about a theory and not fact or law?

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 Cross-section through the Earth
Revision!

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 Layers of the Earth
Revision
quiz

Revision quiz!

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 A little history
Plate tectonics is the modern version of continental
drift, a theory first proposed by scientist Alfred
Wegener in 1912. Wegener knew that continents
could move around the planet but he had no idea how.
Plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology and
explains how the continental masses have behaved
since the planet was formed 4.6 billion years ago.

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 What is a tectonic plate?
A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a
massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock,
generally composed of both continental and oceanic
lithosphere. Plate size can vary from 100’s to 1000’s
of km across; the Pacific and Antarctic Plates are
among the largest. Young oceanic plates may be less
than 15 km thick while older continental plates may
be about 200 km or more.
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 How do tectonic plates move? Theory 1
The way in which tectonic plates move is still a subject of much
debate among Earth scientists. The Earth is dynamic thanks to
its internal heat. It was long thought that this heat resulted in
convection currents in the mantle which were responsible for the
movement of tectonic plates across the Earth’s surface. This
theory is now largely out of favour. Some plate models show that
two thirds of the Earth’s surface move faster than the underlying
mantle so there appears to be little or no evidence that convection
currents in the mantle move plates. Revision!
(Convection current: hot material or air rises; cold material or air sinks)
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 How do tectonic plates move? Theory 1

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 How do tectonic plates move? Theory 2
Read all this
carefully!

It is now thought that the plates and the mantle beneath them are a coupled system with
plates moving by a process known as 'slab pull‘, which helps to drive mantle convection
patterns rather than the other way around.
Newly formed oceanic lithosphere at mid ocean ridges is less dense than the asthenosphere,
but becomes denser with age as it cools and thickens. This causes it to sink into the mantle
at subduction zones, pulling slabs of lithosphere apart at divergent boundaries and
resulting in sea floor spreading or rifting.
Where slab pull is not the main plate driver, ‘ridge push’ is another possibility. As the
lithosphere formed at divergent plate margins is hot, and less dense that the surrounding
area it rises to form oceanic ridges. The newly-formed plates slide sideways off these high
areas, pushing the plate in front of them resulting in a ridge-push mechanism. Now read
it again!
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 Types of plate movements

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 Types of plate movements

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 Types of plate movements

Read Study
this this
carefully!
very carefully!!

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 Continental Drift

Read this
very carefully!!

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 Principal tectonic plates

Read this
very carefully!!

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 The Pacific Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire is a vast area in the Pacific
Ocean where many earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions occur. It is associated
with a nearly continuous series of oceanic
trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic
belts and plate movements. It has 452
volcanoes (more than 75% of the world's
total). About 90% of the world's
earthquakes and about 81% of the world's
largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of
Fire. The Ring of Fire is a direct result Read this
of plate tectonics: the movement and very carefully!!
collisions of lithospheric plates, especially
subduction.
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 Vocabulary
ASSIGNMENT
Work again through this powerpoint and copy down all the word
or terms which are written in bold and underlined. Beside each,
write a definition or explanation.
Be careful! Don’t just go to a dictionary or encyclopedia and look
up the words. A “mantle” for example, could be a cloak, or the
outside of a snail, or part of a kerosene lamp. What is it here? A
“crust” is what you find on the outside of a pie. WhatRead
is it
thishere?
very carefully!!
Make sure that you understand each of these words in the context
of tectonic plates.
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