The theory of continental drift was the first step toward plate tectonic theory, which became the foundation upon which modern geology is built. The role of the southern baja california microplate and its eastern boundary zone. Pdf plate tectonics, our major paradigm for how the earth works, was. Central to the theory of plate tectonics is the concept of. You will recall from a previous chapter that there are three. In 1967, mckenzie and parker suggested the theory of plate tectonics. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the earths lithosphere is broken into distinct. Chapter 1 plate tectonics power point linkedin slideshare. Plate tectonics describes the distribution and motion of the plates. Pdf plate tectonics and great earthquakes download full. Plate tectonic theory arose out of the hypothesis of continental drift. A middle school lesson on plate tectonics theory for grades 68. In essence, platetectonic theory is elegantly simple.
Ppt plate tectonics powerpoint presentation free to. The text is a valuable source of data for readers interested in plate tectonics. Noahs flood and catastrophic plate tectonics from pangea to. The continents are carried on some of these plates.
The surface of the earth is divided into a number of rigid plates that extend from the surface to the base of the lithosphere. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia plate tectonics from greek, tekton builder or mason describes the large. Plate tectonics is the theory that explains the global distribution of geological phenomena. Plate tectonics and the rock cycle the theory of plate tectonics states that the crust of the earth is composed of 7 major plates and numerous smaller plates. Continental drift and plate tectonics university of iceland. Plate tectonics from the late latin tectonicus, from the greek. Tectonic plates are composed of oceanic lithosphere and. Tectonic plates are pieces of the lithosphere, which is a layer of brittle rock that corresponds to the crust and the upper lab 2. The theory of plate tectonics explains how plates and their continents move. Ppt the theory of plate tectonics powerpoint presentation free to download id. Explain the process that causes the earths tectonic plates to move. Plate tectonics is the theory that the outer rigid layer of the earth the lithosphere is divided into a couple of dozen plates that move around across the earths surface relative to each other, like slabs of ice on a lake. Plate tectonics the earths crust is divided into plates which are moved in various directions.
Who proposed the theory and what evidence did he provide to prove his theory. When the concept of seafloor spreading came along, scientists recognized that it was the mechanism to explain how continents could move around earths surface. At plate boundaries, plates collide, move apart, move under or over each other, or slide past one another. His continental drift theory was the first step in the development of plate tectonic theory, the foundation upon which modern geology is built. They move atop the underlying mantle, a really thick layer of hot flowing rock. The theory of plate tectonics key concepts what is the theory of plate tectonics. This plate motion causes them to collide, pull apart, or scrape against each other. Bromley plate tectonic setting of applalaciancaledonian mineral deposits as indicated by newfoundland examples d. The publication elaborates on processes at consuming plate boundaries, including sinking plate model, structure of trenches and associated island arcs and cordilleras, and consumption of continentbearing lithosphere.
Strong influence of crustal evolution on ore deposition j. Like the scientists before us, we will now merge the ideas of continental drift and seafloor spreading into the theory of plate tectonics. Plate tectonic theory plate tectonic theory evidence for continental drift teks 89a alfred wegener in the early 1900 s proposed the hypothesis that continents were. Plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how. With reinterpretation of the map explanation in plate tectonic terms, it has remained useful for decades. Plate tectonics the tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. The crust is made up of six major plates and a number of minor ones. Plate tectonics is the grand, unifying theory of earth sciences, combining the concepts of continental drift and seafloor spreading into one holistic theory that explains many of the major structural features of the earths surface. Quantifying rates of rifting while drifting in the southern gulf of california. Plate tectonic theory plate tectonics crust geology. Plate tectonics is the theory used to explain the structure of the earths crust and many of the associated phenomenon. Similar plant and animal fossils on the shores of distant continents. Plate tectonics grew out of a theory that was first developed in the early 20th century by the meteorologist alfred wegener. Frank taylor first proposed this idea in 1910, alexander du toit later in 1937, harry hess explored the geomorphology of the seafloor by ship in 1960s.
The new model of horizontal movement of the continents was called plate tectonics. Wegeners theory and sea floor maps were used to develop the theory of plate tectonics. Most divergent margins have oceanic crust on either side oceanic ridges, but very young ones might involve a. The theory of plate tectonics grew out of earlier hypotheses and observations collected during exploration of the rocks of the ocean floor. This plate motion causes them to collide, pull apart, or scrape.
Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the. The following pdf produced by iris provides and excellent overview of the plate boundaries in addition to the resources already provided. The theory of plate tectonics geology lumen learning. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory of the earth how did the theory develop.
Powerpoint click to download the ms powerpoint file 146 mbytes pdf click to view or download the presentation in pdf 5 mbytes ht ml cl ick to view the presentation in html format. Then have them reread to identify observations that the theory of plate tectonics explains. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. The plate tectonics theory is based on the continental drift theory in that it explains how the supercontinent drifted apart into several plates. There are many different categories or disciplines that make up the science of geology. Principally it refers to the movement and interaction of the earths lithosphere. Pelex, fluffernutter, cypkerth, download, debresser, favonian, linkfabot, numbo3 bot, tide. Although plate tectonics is a relatively young idea in comparison with unifying theories from other sciences e.
Overview continental drift, in the context of the modern theory of plate tectonics, is explained by the movement of lithospheric plates over the asthenosphere. The theory of plate tectonics describes how the plates move, interact, and change the physical landscape. Development of plate tectonic theory timeline preceden. That map appeared in print after publication of wilsons 1965 seminal work on transform faults. Mineral deposits, continental drift, and plate tectonics. This geo factsheet provides a summary of the latest thinking in the everdeveloping theory of plate tectonics, which is fundamental to understanding tectonic processes and the resultant landforms. Each type of interaction causes a characteristic set of earth structures or tectonic features. In 1912, wegener noticed that the coastlines of the east coast of south america and the west coast of africa seemed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The earth surface has continuously been changing ever since it was formed, especially regarding the geomorphological and geological phenomena. The theory of plate tectonics transformed earth science. Our antivirus check shows that this download is malware free. Describe the type of plate boundary that forms mountains and islands. The adobe flash plugin is needed to view this content.
Plate tectonic theory free download as powerpoint presentation. It is made up of thick, interconnecting pieces called tectonic plates that fit together like a puzzle. In the early 1960s, the emergence of the theoryof plate tectonicsstarted a revolution in the earth sciences. The theory of plate tectonics explains the relative movement of crustal plates that are juxtaposed with each other to form an interlocking pattern of plate boundaries, oceanic trenches, mountain ranges, etc. A plate tectonic puzzle introduction the earths crust is not a solid shell. Theory of continental drift proposed by alfred wegener in 1912, but not widely accepted until seafloor spreading was discovered in 1960. The theory of plate tectonics proposes that the lithosphere is divided into a series of plates that fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. A plate can comprise both oceanic and continental lithosphere. Based on the pace of your course, you may need to adapt the lesson plan to fit your needs. Below is a sample breakdown of the plate tectonics chapter into a 5day school week. Bill nye greatest discoveries plate tectonics plate tectonics theory lesson a middle school lesson on plate tectonics theory for grades 68.
The hypothesis that the earths outermost layers consist of mostly rigid plates that move over an inner surface helped describe the growth of new seafloor, confirm continental drift, and explain why earthquakes and volcanoes occur in some places and not others. Comparing the continental drift and plate tectonic theory in this readers theater, based on a talk show theme, alfred wegener and current scientists come to discusssing their theories of crustal movement. Alfred sings a song based on taylor swifts shake it off. The structure of the earth, plate tectonics and landforms. Earths surface layer, 50 to 100 km 30 to 60 miles thick, is rigid and is composed of a set of large and small plates. Along spreading centers in the sea floor, melted rock rises through cracks, cools, and forms new crust that builds up midocean ridges. This tectonic cycle has influenced the distribution of organisms and greatly affected the. Plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated. The earths crust is divided into plates which are moved in various directions.
This graphic organizer for plate tectonic theory is a great way for students to organize their notes. Earths lithosphere is broken into separate sections called plates. We now know that, directly or indirectly, plate tectonics influences nearly. New crustal plate is formed at the midocean ridges and old crustal plate is destroyed at deep ocean trenches. Alfredwegener1920dieentstehungderkontinenten, pdf download. Plate tectonics have students team read pages 158 and 159 to. In the early 1960s, the emergence of the theoryof plate. L1 advanced readers plate motions point out that the arrows in figure 20 show the direction of plate motion. Tectonic theories attempt to explain why mountains, earthquakes, and. The lithosphere is broken up into what are called tectonic plates in the. The paleomap project includes several plate tectonics animations, paleogeographic reconstructions, and animations that run the plate tectonics conveyor belt 50 million years into the future. Tectonic theories attempt to explain why mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes occur where they do, the ages of deformational events, and the ages and shapes of continents and ocean.