Plate Tectonics Unveiled: The Earth's Epic Puzzle of Motion

Script Writer: John Carlo B. Reganit

Actor: Dane Marie R. Rivera

Video Editor: Regiemae M. Dionola

SEGMENT 1: Introduction to Pangaea

Narrator: In the Early 1900’s a scientist named Alfred Wegener noticed that the coast

lines of several continents looked like they fit together similar to puzzle pieces. He

Believed that around 200 million years ago, all of the continents were joined together on

one large supercontinent that he called Pangaea. Over the course of millions of years,

Pangaea broke apart into the continents we know today.

[INTRODUCTION]

Narrator: Hi, my name is Dane Marie R. Rivera, and we’re embarking on a journey to

uncover the fascinating forces that drives the movements of the Earth’s tectonic plates.

Ever wondered what makes continents drift and mountains rise? Let’s dive into the

details.

SEGMENT 2: Earth’s Tectonic Plates

Narrator: To understand plate movements, let's begin with the protagonists: Earth's

tectonic plates. These plates are like puzzle pieces that make up the Earth's surface

>Insert Visual Map showing the major tectonic plates

Narrator: Our planet's lithosphere, which includes the crust and the upper part of the

mantle, is divided into several large and smaller plates

SEGMENT 3: The Role of Heat

Narrator: At the heart of plate movements is the Earth's internal heat engine. The

Earth's core is incredibly hot, with temperatures reaching up to 9,000 Fehrenheit

>Insert Visual Diagram of the Earth’s Layers

Narrator: This intense heat from the core warms the material in the mantle, making it

less dense and causing it to rise. Think of it like beans in a pot of boiling water, where

the heat rises to the surface.

SEGMENT 4: Convection Currents

Narrator: As the heated mantle material rises, it creates what we call convection

currents. These currents are like giant loops in the mantle that transport heat.

>Insert Visual Animation of convection currents in the mantle

Narrator: As the material nears the surface, it cools down and becomes denser, causing

it to sink back down into the mantle. This continuous cycle of rising and sinking

material is what drives plate movements.

SEGMENT 5: Slab Pull and Ridge Push/Plate boundaries and Movements

Narrator: Now, let's explore plate boundaries, where the action happens.

>Insert map showing different plate boundaries

Narrator: We have three primary types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and

transform. At divergent boundaries, plates move apart, and new crust forms as magma

rises from below.

>Insert Visual Aid showing the processes of divergent boundary

Narrator: At convergent boundaries, plates collide. When an oceanic plate meets a

continental plate, the denser oceanic plate is forced beneath the continental plate,

creating subduction zones.

>Insert Visual Aid showing the processes of transform boundary

Narrator: At transform boundaries, plates slide past each other horizontally, releasing

stress and causing earthquakes. These interactions at plate boundaries are the direct

result of the movements driven by mantle convection.

REFERENCES:

Molnar, P. (1988). Continental tectonics in the aftermath of plate tectonics. Nature, 335(6186),

131-137.

Molnar, P. (1988). Continental tectonics in the aftermath of plate tectonics. Nature, 335(6186),

131-137.

Collins, W. J. (2003). Slab pull, mantle convection, and Pangaean assembly and dispersal. Earth

and Planetary Science Letters, 205(3-4), 225-237.

WEBPAGES:

Retrieved on September 17, 2023

https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/physical/ocean-floor/continental-movement-

plate-tectonics#:~:text=The%20movement%20of%20these%20tectonic,over%20millions%20of

%20years%20(Fig.