Plate Tectonics • The science of lithospheric plate movement is called plate tectonics • It is a theory about ocean-spreading, volcanic activity, seismic activity etc • Alfred Wegener suggested in 1915 suggested that all landmasses were once united in a large supercontinent called Pangaea Pangaea What are tectonic plates • Lithosphere = Solid part of upper mantle+Crust • Lithosphere is not continous but is split into fragments called tectonic plates Types of Lithospheric plates • Oceanic Plates: Thinner, denser, depth is about 50km
• Continental Plates: Thicker, lighter, depth is about 150km
Plate Movement • Suggested by Arthur Holmes in 1939 • Presence of Convection Cells Distribution of Tectonic Plates • 8 largest plates Plate Movement • Divergence • Convergence • Transform movement Plate Divergence • At divergent boundaries, two plates move apart from each other and the space that this creates is filled with new crustal material. • Results in Sea-Floor spreading
• Forms Mid-Oceanic Ridges and Rift Valleys
• e.g Red Sea Plate Divergence • Mid Oceanic Ridges-Sea and Floor Spreading Plate Divergence • Rift Valleys Plate Divergence Plate Convergence • There are 3 types of convergent boundaries: • Oceanic-Continental Convergence; • Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence; • Continental-Continental Convergence. Oceanic-Continental Convergence • When an oceanic plate (denser) pushes into and subducts under a continental plate, the overriding continental plate is lifted up and volcanic activity occurs Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence • When two oceanic plates converge one is usually subducted under the other and in the process a deep oceanic trench (huge depression) is formed • Island Arcs also formed Continental-Continental Convergence • When two continents meet head-on, neither is subducted • Results in formation of Fold mountains e.g Himalayas Transform movement • Transform-Fault Boundaries are where two plates are sliding horizontally past one another. These are also known as transform boundaries or more commonly as fault • e.g San Andreas fault zone Transform Fault Transform movement