Science 10

First Quarter

Plate Tectonics

Teacher
Learning Competencies
1. Describe the distribution of active volcanoes,
earthquake epicenters, and major mountain belts;
2. Describe the different types of plate
boundaries;
3. Explain the different processes that occur
along the plate boundaries;
4. Describe the internal structure of the Earth;
5. Describe the possible causes of plate
movement; and
6. Enumerate the lines of evidence that support
plate movement.
What is Plate Tectonics?
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that
explains
• how the Earth is broken into large Plates.
• the size and position of Plates change.
• the plate edges colliding - geologic
activity
• the causes of earthquakes & volcanism
• how mountains were created
• deep ocean vents – site of creation of life
How is Plate Tectonics
Differ from Tectonic Plates?
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory
describing the large-scale motion of
seven large plates and the movements
of a larger number of smaller plates
of the Earth's lithosphere.
Tectonic plates are pieces of Earth's
crust and uppermost mantle,
together referred to as the
lithosphere.
Tectonic Plates Map
Plate Tectonics

What do you think is

the basis of
scientists in dividing
the world into
several plates
1. Describe the distribution of active
volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and
major mountain belts.

Plate Tectonics Map

Describe the distribution of active
volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and
major mountain belts.
Describe the distribution of active
volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and
major mountain belts.
Describe the distribution of active
volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and
major mountain belts.
What do you notice about the location of
earthquake epicenters, volcanic regions and
mountain ranges?
Plate Tectonics

What do you think is

the basis of
scientists in dividing
the world into
several plates
Plate Tectonics

Different geologic
features from
different geologic
events!
Plate Tectonics
• Geologic features-
mountains, volcanoes,
trenches, valleys.
Geologic events-
earthquakes, volcanism,
subduction, tsumnamis.
2. Describe the different
types of plate boundaries
• Convergent plate
boundary
• Divergent plate boundary
• Transform fault
boundary
Convergent Plate
Movement
A type of movement where
plates are moving towards
each other.
Three Types of Convergent
Plate Boundary Movement
• oceanic-oceanic convergence
• oceanic-continental convergence
• continental-continental convergence
Divergent Plate Movement
A type of movement
where plates tend to
move separately.
Transform Fault Plate
Movement
A type of movement
where plates move
side by side or
relative to
one another.
3. Explain the different processes that
occur along the plate boundaries.

Different geologic
processes occurs
And different
geologic features may
form
3. Explain the different processes that
occur along the plate boundaries.

Convergent Plate Move

ment
Convergent Plate Boundary
Movement
Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence
Geologic Features-
mountains, volcanoes (volcanic
island arc), trenches
Geologic Events- earthquake,
volcanic activity,
subduction,tsunami
Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence
Formation of the Philippine Archipelago
Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence
Formation of the Philippine Archipelago
Oceanic-Continental Convergence

Geologic Features-
mountains, volcanoes
(continental volcanic arc),
trenches
Geologic Events- earthquake,
volcanic activity, subduction,
Oceanic-Continental Convergence
Example is the Nazca oceanic plate and the western side of continental
South American plate
Oceanic-Continental Convergence
Washington-Oregon coastline of the US where Juan de Fuca
oceanic plate is subducting beneath the westward-moving
North American plate. The Cascade Mountain Range is a line of
volcanoes above the melting oceanic plate.
Oceanic-Continental Convergence
Formation of some volcanoes in the Philippines
Continental-Continental Convergence

Geologic Features-
mountains ranges,
mountain chain
Geologic Events-
earthquake
Continental-Continental Convergence
The Himalayan Range where the Indian and Eurasian plates are
currently in collision. Tibetan Plateau and Mt. Everest are part
of it.

Himalayan Mountain
Ranges
3. Explain the different processes that
occur along the plate boundaries.

Divergent Plate Move

ment
Divergent Plate Boundary Movement
Divergent Plate Boundary Movement

Geologic Features- fault,

volcanoes, ridges (oceanic
ridges), rift valleys
Geologic Events-
earthquake, volcanic
activity
Divergent Plate Boundary Movement
The Mid-Atlantic Ocean ridge is an example of spreading
center which causes the divergence of the South American
plate and the African plate.
Divergent Plate Boundary Movement
Lake Tanganyika And Lake Victoria in East of Africa and Lake
Baikal in Siberia
Divergent Plate Boundary Movement
Formation of new ocean basins like the Red Sea, which
separates Africa and Saudi Arabia
Divergent Plate Boundary Movement
Lake Victoria and
Lake Tanganyika  
3. Explain the different processes that
occur along the plate boundaries.

Transform Fault Plate

Movement
Transform Fault Plate Boundary
Movement
Transform Fault Plate Boundary
Movement
Geologic Features-
fault
Geologic Events-
shallow earthquakes
Transform Fault Plate Boundary
Movement
San Andreas Fault
along Southwestern
part of North
America and the
Pacific Plate
Activity 2: Complete the table below
for items
Type of Plate Relative Geologic Geologic
Boundaries Motion of the Events/Proces Features
Plates ses
Divergent 1. Earthquakes Rift valleys

2. Moving 3. 4.
towards each
other
Transform 5. Shallow 6.
Fault earthquakes
Activity 2: Complete the table below
for items
Type of Plate Relative Motion of Geologic Geologic Features
Boundaries the Plates Events/Processes

Divergent 1.PLATES MOVE Earthquakes Rift valleys

SEPARATELY

2. Convergent Moving towards 3. EARTHQUAKES, 4. VOLCANOES,

each other VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, MOUNTAINS,
TSUNAMI, TRENCHES
SUBDUCTION

Transform Fault 5.PLATES ARE Shallow 6. FAULTS

MOVING SIDE BY earthquakes
SIDE
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
Introduction
Review on Seismic Waves

Seismic wave is an elastic wave

generated by an impulse such as
an earthquake or an explosion.
Seismic waves may travel either
along or near the earth's surface
(Rayleigh and Love waves) or
through the earth's interior (P
and S waves).
Two Types of Seismic Waves

1. Surface waves- can only

travel through the surface of
the Earth. They arrive after
the main P and S waves and
are confined to the outer
layers of the Earth.
Two Types of Surface Waves
1.2. Love waves- (A.E.H. Love) It is faster
than Rayleigh wave and it moves the ground in
a side-to-side horizontal motion, like that of a
snake’s causing the ground to twist. This is
why Love waves cause the most damage to
structures during an earthquake. .
Two Types of Surface Waves
1.2. Rayleigh wave- John William Strutt,
Lord Rayleigh) rolls along the ground just like a
wave rolls across a lake or an ocean. Since it
rolls, it moves the ground either up and down
or side-to-side similar to the direction of the
wave’s movement. Most of the shaking felt
from an earthquake is due to the Rayleigh
wave.
Two Types of Seismic Waves

2. Body wave- body waves can

travel through the Earth’s inner
layers. With this characteristic
of the body waves, they are used
by scientists to study the Earth’s
interior. These waves are of a
higher frequency than the
surface waves.
Two Types of Body Waves
2.1. P-Wave- (primary wave) is a pulse
energy that travels quickly through the
Earth and through liquids. The P-wave
travels faster than the S-wave and moves
thorugh solid, liquid or gas particles.
Two Types of Body Waves
2.1. Secondary Wave- is a pulse energy that
travels slower than a P-wave through Earth
and solids. The S-waves move as shear or
transverse waves, and force the ground to
sway from side to side, in rolling motion that
shakes the ground back and forth
perpendicular to the direction of the waves. It
acnnot gravel thorugh liquids.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
4. Describe the internal structure of
the Earth.
1. Describe the possible causes of plate movement.
6. Enumerate the lines of evidence that support
plate movement.

Theories about the

movement of plates
Evidences of these
theories
Continental Drift Theory
-(Alfred Wegener in 1912) states that
the Earth was just one big landmass
called Pangaea (“all land). The landmass
were believed to be moving swiftly until
it reached its present position.
Continental Drift Theory
Continental Drift Theory
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 The Continental Jigsaw Puzzle Fit
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 The Continental Jigsaw Puzzle Fit
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 Evidences from Fossils
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 Glossopteris- A late Paleozoic plant found in
rocks on all five continents.
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 Mesosaurus- A freshwater carnivorous
reptile, fossils found in Permian-aged rocks
in Brazil and Africa
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 Lystrosaurus- Early Triassic terrestrial
mammal-like reptile, fossils found in Africa,
India, and Antarctica
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 Cynognathus- early Triassic terrestrial
mammal-like reptile, fossils found in Brazil
and Africa
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 Rock and Mountain Correlations
Continental Shelf (light blue)

Broad belts of rocks that

Correlate in type and age
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
 Rock and Mountain Correlations

When continents are

brought together,
their mountain
ranges form
a single continuous
range of the same
age and style of
deformation.
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
Evidences of Continental Drift
Theory
Seafloor Spreading (Harry Hess
with Robert Dietz )
According to this theory, hot, less dense
material from below the earth’s crust rises
towards the surface at the mid-ocean ridge.
This material flows sideways carrying the
seafloor away from the ridge, and creates a
crack in the crust. The magma flows out of the
crack, cools down and becomes the new
seafloor.
Evidences of Seafloor
Spreading
 Young Age, density and thickness of rocks
along ridges
Evidences of Seafloor
Spreading
 Evidence from Magnetic Stripes
Rocks that make
up the ocean
floor lie in a
pattern of
magnetized
stripes which
hold a record of
the reversals in
Earth’s magnetic
field.
Plate Tectonics Theory
States that the Earth's solid outer
crust, the lithosphere, is separated
into plates that move over the
asthenosphere, the molten upper
portion of the mantle. Oceanic and
continental plates come together,
spread apart, and interact at
boundaries all over the planet.
Evidences of Plate Tectonics
Theory
 Convection Current- the very slow creeping motion
of Earth's solid silicate mantle caused by
convection currents carrying heat from the interior
to the planet's surface. The Earth's surface
lithosphere rides atop the asthenosphere and the
two form the components of the upper mantle.
Evidences of Plate Tectonics
Theory
 Magnetic stripes and seafloor spreading