TECTONIC PROCESSES:

THEORIES AND PLATE

BOUNDARIES
Tectonics is the study of the
process that deform Earth’s
crust.
CONTINENTAL DRIFT AND PLATE TECTONIC THEORY

Ocean basins and continents are fixed

(Early 20th century)
Continents were originally part of huge landmass called Pangaea
that was surrounded by a single ocean, Panthalessa.

Continents move
(A revolutionary explanation, called continental drift, was proposed by Alfred
Wegener)

The only explanation was that the land bridge that could have connected these
continents completely disappeared later on.
 Plate Tectonic Theory which proposes that the lithosphere consist of seven large
and numerous smaller segments called plates. The driving force for plate
movement is the convection flow in which warm buoyant rocks rise and cooler
materials sink.

The plate tectonic theory is supported by the following evidence:

1. Paleomagnetism or fossil magnetism
A study of rock magnetism showed that Earth’s magnetic field periodically
reverses polarity.
2. Distribution of earthquakes
Faults are breaks in a rock mass where plate movement has occurred.
Plate Boundaries is a fracture separating one
plate from another.

THERE ARE THREE DISTINCT TYPES OF BOUNDARIES:

Convergent Boundary occurs when two plates move

toward each other.
1. Oceanic-continental convergence forms trenches,
destructive earthquakes and rapid uplift of mountain
ranges, as well as the building of volcanic arc.
Oceanic-Continental Convergence
2. Oceanic-oceanic convergence also forms
trenches (Marianas Trench) and volcanic arc.
Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence
3. Continental-continental convergence forms
mountain range like the Himalayan range.
Divergent Boundary occurs when two plates move
away. Seafloor spreading is when new seafloor is
created. Also occur within a continent forming a rift.
Continental rifting may initiate volcanic activity and
generate a rift valley. Rifting may form narrow sea and
eventually result in an ocean basin and ridge system.
Transform Fault Boundary occurs when plates
slide horizontally past one another. (San Andres)
 
Ocean Basin: Evolution and Characteristics
The ocean basins are not featureless. Ocean basin includes continental shelf,
continental slope, continental rise, and ocean floor.
The continental shelf is a relatively shallow gently sloping part of the
continental crust that borders the continent.
The continental slope leads to deep water. A significant feature of the
continental slope is the presence of submarine canyons.
The boundary between the continental slope and shelf is called continental
break.
Continental rise links the deep ocean basin floor to the continental slope. It
is 4000 to 6000 meters deep (30% of earth’s surface). It consists of
relatively thin basaltic rock.
 TECTONIC FORCES AND PROCESSES
Deformation refers to the change in the original shape and
size of a rock. The deformation is caused by tectonic forces.
When rocks are subjected to stresses (tectonic processes),
they begin to deform. They deform by folding and faulting.
Folding or folds occur when rocks are pushed towards
each other from opposite sides. Folds are produced by
horizontal compressive stresses, such as continent-
continent collisions or collisions at any convergence plate
boundary.
COMMON TYPES OF FOLDS:
The upward arch called an anticline.
(A dome is a circular or elliptical anticline in which the limbs dip away in all
direction.)
The downward arch is called a syncline.
(A basin is a circular or elliptical syncline in which the limbs dip toward the center.)
 *The sides of a fold are called the limbs.
Fold found in a mountain showing syncline and anticline.
Faulting is the fracturing and displacement of brittle rocks
strata along a fault plane.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT FAULTS BASED ON THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT
OF THE BLOCKS:

Dip-Slip Fault- the movement of the two blocks is vertical.

Strike-Slip Fault- the dominant displacement is horizontal and parallel.