Plate Tectonics: Environmental Management

Plate Tectonics [ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT]
Plate Tectonics
Using modern equipment, scientists known as oceanographers have been able
to measure and map out the ocean floor. What these scientists have discovered
has helped explain how it is that continents are able to move around on the
Earths crust.
Located deep beneath the waves on the ocean floor almost exactly halfway
between the continents are raised areas known as ridges. These ridges are
similar to under-water mountain ranges. At other locations we find extremely
deep trenches, some reaching many thousands of feet in depth.
Many scientists believe that the ridges represent areas where new crust is being
formed, as hot magma escapes from the Earths core and spreads outward. As
the seafloor spreads outward away from the area where magma is being
released, the continents are carried across the sea, riding on top of the sigma
crust.
As new crust is created, older crust submerges back into the mantle, being
melted once again. It is believed that the deep ocean trenches are locations
where crust is being lowered back into the Earths core.
The amount of time that it takes for crust to be created and later destroyed is
approximately 100 million years. Thus, most crust has a lifetime of around 100
million years.
Because continents do not fall back into the Earths mantle, they survive much
longer. Many parts of the continents we see today are almost as old as the Earth
itself.
As new crust is created in a particular location on Earth, it forms what

resembles giant plates. One side of the plate is where new crust is being created,
while the other side is where older crust is being destroyed.
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Geologists refer to this process as plate tectonics. As we study plate tectonics, a picture emerges
of very old continents riding on top of much younger and ever moving plates. These plates move
extremely slowly, at a rate of only about 10 cm per year.
Plates Boundaries
At the locations where two tectonic plates interact, a boundary between these
plates exists. There are three types of boundaries that geologist observe. These
boundaries are divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries, and transform
boundaries.
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A Land in Motion
Although we think of the land on Earth as being fixed and stable, it turns out
that it is constantly moving. This movement is way too slow for us to notice,
however, because it only moves between one to 6 inches per year. It takes
millions of years for the land to move a significant amount.
The Lithosphere
The part of the land that is moving is the Earth's surface called the lithosphere.
The lithosphere is made up of the Earth's crust and a part of the upper mantle.
The lithosphere moves in big chunks of land called tectonic plates. Some of
these plates are huge and cover entire continents.
Major and Minor Tectonic Plates
Most of the Earth is covered by seven major plates and another eight or so
minor plates. The seven major plates include the African, Antarctic, Eurasian,
North American, South American, India-Australian, and the Pacific plates.
Some of the minor plates include the Arabian, Caribbean, Nazca, and Scotia
plates.
Here is a picture showing the major tectonic plates of the world.
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Continents and Oceans
Tectonic plates are around 62 miles thick. There are two main types of tectonic
plates: oceanic and continental.
Oceanic - Oceanic plates consist of an oceanic crust called "sima". Sima is made
up primarily of silicon and magnesium (which is where it gets its name).
Continental - Continental plates consist of a continental crust called "sial". Sial is

made up of silicon and aluminum.
Plate Boundaries
The movement of tectonic plates is most evident at the boundaries between the
plates. There are three main types of boundaries:
Convergent Boundaries - A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates

push together. Sometimes one plate will move under the other. This is called
subduction. Although the movement is slow, convergent boundaries can be
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areas of geological activity such as the forming of mountains and volcanoes.

They can also be areas of high earthquake activity.
Tectonic plate convergence
Divergent Boundaries - A divergent boundary is one where two plates are

getting pushed apart. The area on land where the boundary occurs is called a
rift. New land is formed by magma pushing up from the mantle and cooling as
it reaches the surface.
Transform Boundaries - A transform boundary is one where two plates slide

past each other. These places are often called faults and can be areas where
earthquakes often occur.
Interesting Facts about Plate Tectonics
One famous transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault in California. It is the
boundary between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate. It is the
cause of so many earthquakes in California.
The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. It is formed by a

convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Mariana Plate. The
Pacific Plate is being sub ducted under the Mariana Plate.
Scientists are now able to track the movement of tectonic plates using GPS.
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The Himalayan Mountains, including Mount Everest, were formed by the

convergent boundary of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

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Plate Tectonics [ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT]

As new crust is created in a particular location on Earth, it forms what

Major and Minor Tectonic Plates

Here is a picture showing the major tectonic plates of the world.

Continents and Oceans

Continental - Continental plates consist of a continental crust called "sial". Sial is

Convergent Boundaries - A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates

areas of geological activity such as the forming of mountains and volcanoes.

Tectonic plate convergence

Divergent Boundaries - A divergent boundary is one where two plates are

Transform Boundaries - A transform boundary is one where two plates slide

Interesting Facts about Plate Tectonics

The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. It is formed by a

The Himalayan Mountains, including Mount Everest, were formed by the

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