PLATE TECTONICS

ISOSTACY
- Gravitational equilibrium between the lithosphere and mantle
- The crust would float at an elevation, depending on the thickness and density
- Explains the different topography at the surface
- 3 models
o Airy’s Hypothesis (1855) – George Airy. Different topographic heights are
accommodated by changes in crustal thickness. Crust has a constant density
o Pratt’s Hypothesis (1854) – John Pratt. Different topographic heights are
accommodated by lateral changes in rock density
o Flexural Isostacy Model (1950s) – Vening Meinesz. Lithosphere is an elastic plate
and its rigidity distributes local topographic loads over a broad region by bending
- Airy and Pratt – statement of buoyancy; purely hydrostatic
- Flexural Isostacy Model – aside from buoyancy, deformation of rigid lithosphere and
elastic forces is included
- Perfect isostacy can never be achieved.
o Mantle should be at rest
o Thermal convection occurs at the mantle – not accounted for in the theory of
isostacy
- Isostatic anomaly = Bouger anomaly – Gravity anomaly. Approximately equal to free air
anomaly.
- Important in developing the theory of plate tectonics
CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY
- Alfred Wegener (1915)
- A large and partially submerged continental block broke apart and drifted as it floats on
a denser mantle layer. This means that the crust moves, but the seafloor is not moving.
- Evidences – these evidences are considered to be good for the theory, but cannot
explain the mechanism
o Jigsaw fit
o Geologic fit
o Glacial deposit
o Magnetic field
- Important in developing plate tectonics
 Figure 1: Continental Drift Theory

SEAFLOOR SPREADING
- 1950s.
- Recognition of the existence of magnetic anomalies
- Magnetic minerals are magnetized when rocks cool below the Curie temperature –
orienting towards the direction of the magnetic field
- Robert Dietz suggested the name seafloor spreading in 1961
- Harry Hess proposed the theory of seafloor spreading in 1962
- Vine and Matthews proposed that the magnetic anomalies on the seafloor is the
combination of reversals of magnetic field and spreading of the seafloor in 1963

Figure 2: Simplified diagram of a Seafloor Spreading

THEORY OF PLATE TECTONICS
- 1968: Jason Morgan developed the theory of plate tectonics
- Lithosphere is broken into 12 rigid plates and it moves relative to each other
- He calculated the motions of the tectonic plates

Figure 3: Plate Tectonics Theory

Remember that for the theory of plate tectonics, you

have three ways to melt the mantle:
1. Raise the temperature
2. Lower the pressure
3. Change the chemical composition