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Plate tectonics:

This resource explores the fundamental role of plate tectonics in mountain formation. Discover the three types of plate boundaries—divergent, convergent, and transform—and how they contribute to geological features like mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Learn about the forces that drive plate motion, including examples like the Andes Mountains formed by oceanic-continental convergence and the Himalayas from continental-continental collision. This insightful overview delves into Earth's dynamic processes that shape its surface and create our planet's diverse topographies.

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Plate tectonics:

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  1. Plate tectonics: The Key to understanding mountain formation

  2. Plate boundaries • ..\..\..\Documents\CLASSES\Mtn_geog\10\Videos\ess01_int_boundaries\ess05_int_boundaries.html

  3. Volcanoes, earthquakes • ..\..\..\Documents\CLASSES\Mtn_geog\10\Videos\ess02_int_tectonic\ess05_int_tectonic.html

  4. World’s tectonic plates

  5. Earth’s Topographic Regions Clue #1: Mountain ranges found only in certain areas (edges of continents)

  6. Marine fossils on top of Everest • Granite core • sedimentary • rock layer • Limestone • (top) Clue #2: Material composition of mountains N side, view from Rongbuk Monastery, Tibet

  7. Clue #3: Continental Shields in interior of continents

  8. GEOLOGY OF THE USA • Craton (kratos; • Greek for strength) • old and stable part of the • continental crust that has • survived the merging and • splitting of continents • interiors of continents • formed of a crust of • lightweight rock, e.g. granite, • attached to a section • of the upper mantle.

  9. Clue #4: Ocean crust oldest near continents and youngest towards middle of oceans oldest youngest

  10. Plate motion • Plates move away from, toward, or slide past each other. • There are 3 types of plate boundaries: - divergent - convergent - transform.

  11. Three types of plate boundary

  12. A. DIVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY • occur along spreading centers where plates are moving apart • new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle

  13. Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge • a topographically high area • near the middle of the Atlantic • Ocean • splits nearly the entire • Atlantic Ocean north to south,

  14. Divergent: Atlantic Ridge LAVA FOUNTAINS KRAFLA VOLCANO ICELAND

  15. B. CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY • Plates are moving toward each other • destruction (recycling) of crust takes place along convergent boundaries Sometimes, pne plate sinks (is subducted) - SUBDUCTION ZONE

  16. Convergent plate boundaries 3 types depending on type of plate involved: • Oceanic-continental convergence • Oceanic-oceanic convergence • Continental-continental convergence

  17. 1. Oceanic-Continental Collision • oceanic Nazca Plate is pushing into and being subducted • under the continental part of the South American Plate • South American Plate is being lifted up, creating the Andes • Strong, destructive earthquakes • rapid uplift of mountain ranges are common in this region.

  18. Oceanic-continental: Pacific RING OF FIRE

  19. Example: Andes Mtns • West margin of the South American continent • oceanicNazca Plate is pushed toward and beneath the continental portion of the • South American Plate • typical example of a convergent plate boundary

  20. ALPAMAYO, CORDILLERA BLANCA

  21. 2. Oceanic-oceanic Collision • Subduction processes in oceanic-oceanic • plate convergence result in the • formation of volcanic arc islands

  22. Examples of volcanic arc islands • Aleutians • the Kuriles • Japan • the Ryukyus, • the Philippines • Indonesia

  23. 3. Continental-continental Collision • neither plate subducted because • the continental rocks are relatively light • like two colliding icebergs, plates resist • downward motion

  24. HIMALAYAS collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates has pushed up the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau

  25. C. TRANSFORM BOUNDARY • At a transform plate boundary, plates slide past each other. • Crust neither produced nor destroyed

  26. Example: San Andreas fault in California Pacific Plate slides past the North American Plate.

  27. Special case: HOTSPOTS “Plume” = huge column of upwelling lava

  28. HOTSPOTS HAWAII VIDEO http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.hawaii/

  29. How fast are plates moving? • The Arctic Ridge • slowest rate (less than 2.5 cm/yr) • East Pacific Rise near Easter Island, in the South Pacific about 3,400 km west of Chile • fastest rate (more than 15 cm/yr).

  30. Plate Motion Summary

  31. Mountain Maker, Earth shaker • Interactive media

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