1.

Pangaea Proxima- the next Pangaea

EMERGING THEORIES
● Contraction Theory.
● Continental Drift Theory
● Seafloor Spreading Theory
● Theory of Tectonic Plates
resulting from the recombination of the
continents in the next billion of years.
2. Pangaea Ultima- the last Pangaea *
Scientists calculated that the continents
move about 15 millimeters per year.

CONTRACTION THEORY

Theory that suggested that the Earth

started out as a molted blob and
gradually cooled that resulted to
contracted and wrinkled surface.

- Formulated by James Dwight Dana, an SEAFLOOR SPREADING

American Geologist
Theory proposed that oceanic crust is
When the Earth cooled, heavier metals
formed through volcanic activity and then
sank down and formed the core, however
gradually move away from the ridge.
lighter metals stayed up in the crust.
Proposed by Harry Hess, an America
The cooling caused some parts of the
geologist, in 1960.
crust to buckle upwards forming
mountains and mountain ranges and
Ocean floor moves like a conveyor belt
buckle downwards creating ocean basins.
carrying continents with it.

CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY
Proposed that super landmass once
existed called Pangaea that later on split
into large masses, which we now know
as continents.
- Proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912.
Rejected by scientists due to failure to
explain the driving forces behind the
movements of the continents.
Difference between Pangaea Proxima
and Pangaea Ultima:
New ocean floor forms along cracks in the
ocean crust as molten material erupts from
the mantle spreading out and pushing older
rocks to the sides of the crack.
TECTONIC PLATES
States that the lithosphere is composed of
many independent massive slabs of solid
rocks called plates.
Theory that incorporates the theory of
continental drift and the theory of seafloor
spreading.
 Two Types of Tectonic Plates: Three Types:

1. Continental Plates- plates which are 1. Continental-continental

under landmasses. 2. Oceanic-oceanic
2. Oceanic Plates- plates which are under 3. Continental-oceanic
ocean.
Continental-continental:

- no subduction happens
- continental crust buckles and rocks pile up
- mountain ranges were created

Note: Primary is continents except for

pacific

PLATE BOUNDERIES

● boundary regions between plates Oceanic-oceanic:

Faults- fractures on the Earth’s crust/ a - subduction forms

break in a rock along which movement has - subducting oceanic plate -begins to melt
occurred. upon contact with the asthenosphere, the
molten materials will rise creating a chain of
volcanoes
PLATE BOUNDARIES
- trenches are also created

1. Convergent *Trench- a long and narrow depression in

2. Divergent the ocean floor.
3. Transform Fault
Mariana Trench - deepest natural trench in
CONVERGENT BOUNDARIES the world located in the western Pacific
Ocean.
Occurs where two slides towards each other.
Continental-oceanic:
Forms the following:
1. Subduction Zones - one plates move - oceanic plate subducts beneath the
underneath the other. continental plate.
2. Orogenic Belt - a region of deformed - trenches and volcanic mountains on land
rocks. are formed.
 DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES,
MOUNTAIN, AND MOUNTAIN RANGES

PLATE TECTONICS

Location and Distribution:

Volcanoes, Earthquake, And Mountain
Ranges.
DIVERGENT BOUNDARIES
Volcano - Used to describe either a kind of
Plates are being pushed apart, as they are a mountain built up of volcanic rock or vent
pushed apart, magma rises from the mantle that pours out gas, molten rock and
and fills the void. volcanic ash.

Two Types: *100,000 volcanoes worldwide

1. Continental-continental
-will create a rift valley, widened rift.
*Rift- a linear zone where the lithosphere is
being pulled apart.
2. Oceanic-oceanic
- will create mid-oceanic ridges,
mountain ranges underwater.
Examples:
1. Expansion of Atlantic Ocean - resulting Mountain
from the moving away from each other of
Eurasia and North America.
2. The Great African Rift Valley - the
separation of East Africa and West Africa.
TRANSFORM PLATE BOUNDARIES
The plates slide and grind past against each
other without destroying or creating new
lithosphere.
*1,500 active volcanoes
Earthquake - It is the vibration of Earth
due to rapid release of energy.
*20,000 Earthquakes around the globe
each year, or approximately 55 per day.
the *9-18 hit the country everyday.
MOUNTAIN RANGES
- The mighty chunks rise all over the
world, including the oceans.
- They usually have steep, sloping
sides and sharp or rounded ridges,
a high point, called a peak or
summit.
- Most geologist classify a mountain
as a landform that rises at least
1,000 feet ( 300 meters ) or more
above its surrounding area.

Earthquakes are produced resulting from the

movement of plates.
Mountain Range The Pacific Ring of Fire is a site
of many geological events
A mountain range is a series or chain of
mountains that are close together. ● Volcanic eruptions
● Tsunamis/Earthquakes
The Andes of South America ● Faulting
- Longest mountain range in the
world.
- Stretching for an estimated
distance of 7,000 km (4,350
miles).
- It cuts across 7 South American
countries of Argentina, Ecuador,
Venezuela, Colombia, Peru,
Bolivia, and Chile.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

- The global Mid-Ocean Ridge is the

longest of the sub-marine
mountain ranges, stretching for a
length of about 65,000 km (40,000
miles). Sub-marine mountain
ranges, also a product of plate
tectonics are found underwater.

Himalayan Mountain Range

- Collision of the Indian plates with
Euroasian plates.
- Mountain stretched out to 2,400
kilometers and now encompasses
countries namely Afghanistan,
Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet and
Bhutan.

Pacific Ring of Fire

- Borders around the Pacific tectonic

plate.
- Susceptible to and very much
frequented by volcanism-related
geologic activities.