ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT

ENV 203/GEO 205: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY

LECTURE 07

PROFESSOR DR. MD. MIZANUR RAHMAN (RMR)

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 TODAY’S LECTURE CONTENT…

THIS LECTURE WILL COVER…

1. Plate Tectonics and Related Concepts

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 HOW OLD IS THE EARTH?

AGE…

About 4.6 billion years.

• The oldest rocks are
found on the north slope
of Canada, the Canadian
Shield.
• These rocks are 4.0
billion years old. These
were dated from the
radioactive decay of
uranium into lead.
• The other 0.6 billion
years is an estimate of
how long it took the
earth to form.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 CONTINENTAL DRIFT

GEOGRAPHIC FIT…

Continents seem to fit together like pieces of a puzzle

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 CONTINENTAL DRIFT

EVIDENCES FROM FOSSIL AND SEDIMENT…

Similar distribution of fossils such as the Mesosaurus.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 CONTINENTAL DRIFT MODEL

PROBLEMS…

• Alfred Wegener designed this model.

• Presented research to professionals.
• Did not provide a plausible
mechanism to explain how continents
drifted.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 SEAFLOOR SPREADING

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY…

• Continental drift reexamined in 1960’s with new information.

• New theory developed: Seafloor spreading.
• Supporting evidence for seafloor spreading…
• - World seismicity
• - Volcanism
• - Age of seafloor
• - Paleomagnetism
• - Heat flow.

Theory combining continental drift and seafloor

spreading termed Plate Tectonics.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 EVIDENCE OF SEAFLOOR SPREADING

WORLD SEISMICITY…

Earthquake distribution matches plate boundaries.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 EVIDENCE OF SEAFLOOR SPREADING

AGE OF SEAFLOOR…

Youngest seafloor is at mid-ocean ridge and oldest seafloor

away from mid-ocean ridge.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 THEORY OF PLATE TECTONICS

PLATE TECTONICS…

John Tuzo Wilson combined ideas of continental drift and

seafloor spreading into “Plate Tectonics”

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 THEORY OF PLATE TECTONICS

PLATE TECTONICS…

A Video on Plate tectonics

How the continents moved and formed the existing shape?

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 PRINCIPLES OF PLATE TECTONICS

PLATE TECTONICS…

Earth’s outermost layer composed of thin rigid plates moving

horizontally.
Plates interact with each other along their edges (plate
boundaries).
Plate boundaries have high degree of tectonic activity
- Mountain building
- Earthquakes
- Volcanoes

Three Types of
Plate Boundaries…
- Transform
- Divergent
- Convergent

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 PLATE BOUNDARIES

DIVERGENT…

Plates move away from each other.

New Crust is being formed.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 PLATE BOUNDARIES

DIVERGENT…
Examples…

East African Rift Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 PLATE BOUNDARIES

CONVERGENT…

Plates are moving toward each other.

Crust is being destroyed.

Three types of Convergent movement…

1. Ocean – Continent
2. Ocean – Ocean
3. Continent – Continent

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 PLATE BOUNDARIES

CONVERGENT…

Examples…

Mount Fuji Mount Lassen Himalayas

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 PLATE BOUNDARIES

TRANSFORM…

Crust is neither created nor destroyed.

Plates slide past one another.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 PLATE BOUNDARIES

TRANSFORM…

Examples…

San Andreas Fault

Calexico, California Carrizo Plains, Central California

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 Thanks

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University