Plate tectonics Essays

  • Plate Tectonics Essay

    980 Words  | 4 Pages

    PLATES TECTONICS Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that attempts to explain the motion of the Earth’s lithosphere that have formed the landscape the landscape features we see cross the globe. The theory of the plates tectonics state that the lithosphere of the earth is build up from single plates that are broken down into dozen massive and tiny particles of solid rock. These pieces of plates move near each other on the peak of the earth more fluid lower mantle to produce various type of plates

  • Theories Of Plate Tectonics

    1141 Words  | 5 Pages

    The theory of plate tectonics was formulated in the 1960’s, to provide a realistic and complete idea of the processes that produce the Earth’s surface. These plates make up the Earth’s strong outer layer, the lithosphere. “This layer is about 100km thick, which includes the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.” (Rafferty, 2010) Before the late 1960’s, geologists held the perspective that all the continents and ocean basins were in fixed positions. However this view was quickly dismissed, as

  • Plate Tectonic Plates Research Paper

    708 Words  | 3 Pages

    The World Beneath Our Feet Beneath our feet, a dozen plates are moving, creating more and more damage to human life. Millions of years ago our continents were compiled into one big block called Pangea. Plate tectonics is a theory that answers most of our questions about the earth’s surface. For example it tells us where and why most volcanoes occur, how mountains are formed and so many more questions. Plate tectonics affects our planets in many ways. They are the cause of most natural disaster such

  • Plate Tectonics Movement

    341 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Movement of Plate Tectonics Many scientists have done research on all continents being combined into one. This super continent is known as Pangea. Pangea existed 175 million years ago. But as time went on the continents slowly drifted apart. Underneath the earth are plate tectonics, and when the earth drifts apart the plate tectonics move and cause many things to happen. Many of our landforms were created because of this. Three examples are volcanos, earthquakes, and mountains. To begin, volcanos

  • Essay On Plate Tectonics

    866 Words  | 4 Pages

    Plate tectonics, the cause of many, many natural disasters and landforms. The shifting of tectonic plates can cause earthquakes, mountains, volcanoes, mid-oceanic ridges, and oceanic trenches, depending on the direction the plates move. Though it seems they have such a large effect on Earth itself, the most affected thing being Earth’s organisms. These organisms have evolved to be able to live in these conditions, be it on top of mountains or deep below the surface of the ocean. These creatures

  • Plate Tectonics Research Paper

    1378 Words  | 6 Pages

    2018 Plate Tectonics definition of plate tectonics Plate tectonics is the study of the structure of the earths crust & mantle with reference to the theory that the earths lithosphere is divided into large rigid blocks that are floating on semi fluid rock and are thus able to interact with each other at their boundaries and to the associated theories of continental drift and sea floor spreading. There are a few handfuls of major plates and dozens of minor plates. Seven of the major plates are named

  • Tectonic Plates Lab Report

    1269 Words  | 6 Pages

    - Global Campus Dr. Michael Urban May 15, 2016   Tectonic Plates The Earth is composed of an outer shell called the crust and an inner core called the mantle. The crust, which currently consists of seven tectonic plates, float on top of the mantle. These plates are slowly moving and have collided and separated many times over the course of Earth’s history. Relationships between tectonic boundaries and various features. The tectonic plates and their boundaries help determine the appearance and

  • Plate Tectonics Research Paper

    888 Words  | 4 Pages

    Birth of Plate Tectonics Plate tectonics is a scientific theory, coined in the 1950s, to explain the large-scale motion of Earth’s lithosphere (the outermost shell of planet Earth). This theory is based on the idea that Earth’s lithosphere is divided into several “plates” that move across the Earth’s surface, relative to each other, gliding over the mantle. The theory of plate tectonics was developed between the 1950s through the 1970s. It is basically the modern version of the theory of continental

  • Why Do Plate Tectonics Exist

    659 Words  | 3 Pages

    variety of igneous metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The tectonic plates are always colliding or pulling apart, creating mountains. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur at the edge of these tectonic plates because of the impact of the plate movements are greatest there. What would be interesting is what if plate tectonics never existed? What would be the social, economic, climatic impact of living without plate tectonics? Without tectonic forces that push and pull apart our lives would be different

  • Harry Hess's Plate Tectonic Theory

    559 Words  | 3 Pages

    Harry H. contribution on the plate tectonic theory in 1945 when he was actually commander of the U.S.S. Cape Johnson. He informs and studies plate tectonics in his work he used equipment that would take measurements of the sea floor. Hess discovered features on the ocean floor that appeared to be mountains with the tops flattened. Hess described in hot magma would rise out of the crust at the Great Global Rift. But Hess did have many situations in this of may people did question his theory. He was

  • How Are Earthquakes Affected By Plate Tectonics

    842 Words  | 4 Pages

    caused by the plate tectonics crashing into one another. Without the plate tectonics, there would be no continents, no large mountain ranges and Earth would be submerged to a depth several thousand feet. Most of the world’s sea creatures would be fine, but many humans cannot survive this. Tectonic plates produce

  • Evidence Surrounding The Idea Of Tectonic Plates

    869 Words  | 4 Pages

    idea of tectonic plates, in the late fifteen hundreds foundation evidence was found followed by further information which lead us to believe what we know today as the tectonic plate theory. The theory explains that the earths crust is divided into several tectonic plates , it looks at the way plates shift and interact with each other and explains how tectonic plates are reasons for many of earths natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. Science shows that tectonic plates are also

  • Why Is The Theory Of Plate Tectonics True

    433 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theory of plate tectonics states that the continents used to be together, and they have slowly moved apart. Some of us people believe it is fake, or some of us believe it is true. We believe that these continents used to be together and they were called Pangea. I agree with Alfred Wegner and I will explain why the claim is true because of these following reasons; the location of earthquakes, fossil evidence, and the age of the rocks. All of these earthquakes have occurred on the continental

  • Arguments Surrounding The Evidence Of Plate Tectonic Theory

    1556 Words  | 7 Pages

    supporting evidence like the plate tectonic theory has. Plate tectonic theory is the accepted idea in today's studies. Before the 1950’s people had many other idea of how the earth’s geography is formed. An example would include the contracting earth theory. Eliza Richardson stated that the contracting earth theory explained how the earth cooled and contracted, forming mountains and other physical features. (2017) Before scientific evidence that proved the plate tectonic theory, people did not have

  • How Does Plate Tectonics Affect The Earth

    1026 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout geologic history, tectonic plate boundaries have diverged, converged and transformed the Earth, causing the surface of the Earth to be in a constant state of change. Plate tectonics, at present, is observed only on the Earth and “refers to a particular mode of convection in a planetary mantle, which is made of silicate rocks” (Korenaga 2012, p. 87). The lithosphere of the Earth is divided into plates which move at different velocities over the mantle, with much of the Earth’s seismic and

  • How Did Wegner Support The P1a Theory Of Plate Tectonics

    573 Words  | 3 Pages

    P1a Theory of plate tectonics Nomaan Tufail Alfred Wegner was a German scientist who came up with the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift. He noticed that plates were drifting away from each other, constantly. He called this process continental drift. He was really interested in metrology and climatology. Wegner made many contributions towards metrology and also earned a Ph.D. in astronomy. He died when he

  • The Plate Tectonic Theory

    1101 Words  | 5 Pages

    broke the surface into plates that float on a sea of magma below. These plates are constantly moving, drifting apart creating divergence boundaries and crashing together creating convergence boundaries, colliding with the power to forge mountains, and splitting solid rock like it was paper. The discovery of these plates didn’t happen over night, the theory has been developed over centuries and finally we understand how mountains are built and canyons are formed. The plate tectonic theory hasn’t been

  • What Is Wegener's Theory Of Plate Tectonics?

    445 Words  | 2 Pages

    impossible for a large mass of solid rock to plow through the ocean floor without breaking up. Recent evidence from ocean floor exploration and other studies has rekindled interest in Wegener's theory, and lead to the development of the theory of plate tectonics. Broad belts of rocks in Africa and South America are the same type. These broad belts then match when the end of the continents are joined. Wegener noted that plant fossils of late Paleozoic age found on several different continents were quite

  • Albert Wedgner's Theory Of Plate Tectonics

    1036 Words  | 5 Pages

    theories and ideas presented thus, not generally accepted. In the 1960s, plate tectonics emerged that explained Earth’s features such as continents, oceans, volcanoes, earthquakes, valleys and mountains. This theory became widely accepted by virtually all Earth scientists. A plate is a solid rock that is large and rigid while the Greek word tectonics means ‘to build’. Plate tectonics is the study of how the surface of the Earth is formed, how the separate pieces of it moves and the effects of this

  • Continental Drift In Australia

    574 Words  | 3 Pages

    continents rest on large slabs of rock called tectonic plates. The pates are constantly moving and interacting in a process called plate tectonics. The movement of Earth's tectonic plates formed Gondwana and broke it apart. The tectonic plates move as a consequence of mid oceanic ridges where adjacent plates are forced apart in different directions. Convection currents, seafloor spreading and rift valleys also drive the movement of the Earth’s plates. When Gondwana drifted apart, Antarctica, South