Lect.3 Earthprocess-Plate Tect

• Plate : a large, rigid slab of solid rock.
• Tectonics - comes from the Greek root "to build."
• The theory of plate tectonics :

“The Earth's outermost layer is fragmented into a
Plate Tectonics dozen or more large and small plates that are moving
relative to one another as they ride atop hotter, more
mobile material.”
Asthenosphere
• The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates.

• A tectonic plate (lithospheric plate) is a massive,
irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally
• Seven or eight major and many minor plates. The
composed of both continental and oceanic
plates ride on the asthenosphere and move in relation
lithosphere.
to one another.
• Plate size can vary greatly: from a few hundred to

• Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building,
thousands of kilometres across. The Pacific and
and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate
Antarctic Plates are the largest15
boundaries. The lateral relative movement of the
plates typically varies from 0–100 mm annually.
• Plate thickness- <15 km for young oceanic
lithosphere to >200 km for ancient continental
lithosphere
Continental drift
• The movement of the Earth's continents relative to
each other.
• The hypothesis that continents 'drift' was first put

forward by Abraham Ortelius (1596)
• Similarities between coastline of Africa, South
America was intriguing for early researchers (Glen
1975, Kearey & Vine 1990)
• Fully developed by Alfred Wegener (1912)
• In the 1960s, sufficient geological explanation of that

movement was put forward
• According to Alfred Wagener - around 200 million • Wegener's theory was based on remarkable fit of the
years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea began to split South American and African continents
apart.
• Alexander Du Toit (Professor -Johannesburg

University) -proposed that Pangaea first broke into
two large continental landmasses, Laurasia in the
northern hemisphere and Gondwanaland in the
southern hemisphere.
• Laurasia and Gondwanaland then continued to break

apart into the various smaller continents that exist
today.
• The occurrences of identical plant and animal
fossils along coastlines of South America and
Africa (du Toit 1937)
• Evidence of dramatic climate changes on some continents also

indicates continental drift: Wegener
• Physically impossible for organisms to swim oceans. • Fossils of tropical plants (coal deposits) in Antarctica means
this frozen land previously must have been situated closer to
• Identical fossil species in coastal parts of Africa and the equator where lush, swampy vegetation could grow.
South America -most compelling evidence that the two
continents were once joined. • Other mismatches of geology and climate included distinctive
fossil ferns (Glossopteris) discovered in now-polar regions,
and the occurrence of glacial deposits in present-day arid
Africa, such as the Vaal River valley of South Africa.
Continental Drift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM8KrmRedSw
• A fatal weakness in Wegener's theory : No answer to • Alfred Wegener: Song by Amoeba People
the question https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1-cES1Ekto
• What kind of forces could be strong enough to

move such large masses of solid rock over such
great distances?
• Wegener suggested that the continents simply • Alfred Wegener vs. The Fixists (Continental Drift) -
ploughed through the ocean floor like ships Science History Battle Rap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC1E93lTJbA
• Critics like Harold Jeffreys (English geophysicist)
argued correctly that it was physically impossible for
a large mass of solid rock to plough through the
ocean floor without breaking up.
Mid-Oceanic Ridge
• Before the 19th century, most people thought ocean

floor was relatively flat and featureless.
What really causes the continents to drift??
• But even in16th century few navigators found that the
open ocean can differ considerably in depth, showing
that the ocean floor was rugged
• All along the globe, a system of mid-oceanic ridges
was detected. An important conclusion was that along
this system, new ocean floor was being created.
• In 1961 scientists theorized mid-ocean ridges mark

structurally weak zones where the ocean floor was
being ripped in two
• New magma from deep within the Earth rises easily

through these weak zones to create new oceanic crust.
• This process, later called seafloor spreading,

operating over many millions of years has built the
50,000 km-long system of mid-ocean ridges.
• But, still a question remained:
• How can new crust be continuously added along

the oceanic ridges without increasing the size of
the Earth?
• Arthur Holmes, Vening-Meinesz, Coates and many

others: “The crust in excess disappeared along
oceanic trenches where subduction occurred.”
Palaeomagnetism and Continental Drift • Palaeomagnetic studies (50-60’s) of radiometrically
• In late 19th century scientist found that rocks carry dated lava showed geomagnetic field has reversed
stable record of geomagnetic field direction from the many times in the past
time of formation (natural remnant magnetism) • For a certain period of time (10 thousand to million
• Position of magnetic pole can be calculated by these years) the polarity might be normal (as present), then
information – Virtual geo-magnetic pole (VGP) the magnetic north changed to lie near geographic
• Palaeomagnetism added to theory of geomagnetic south pole.
reversals, geomagnetic polar wandering, and • Basalt in mid-oceanic ridge display strong remnant
continental drift. magnetism and their study show cycles of polarity
reversals

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• Plate : a large, rigid slab of solid rock.

• Tectonics - comes from the Greek root "to build."

• The theory of plate tectonics :

• The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates.

• Plate size can vary greatly: from a few hundred to

• The hypothesis that continents 'drift' was first put

• Fully developed by Alfred Wegener (1912)

• In the 1960s, sufficient geological explanation of that

• Alexander Du Toit (Professor -Johannesburg

• Laurasia and Gondwanaland then continued to break

• Evidence of dramatic climate changes on some continents also

• What kind of forces could be strong enough to

• Before the 19th century, most people thought ocean

• In 1961 scientists theorized mid-ocean ridges mark

• New magma from deep within the Earth rises easily

• This process, later called seafloor spreading,

• How can new crust be continuously added along

• Arthur Holmes, Vening-Meinesz, Coates and many

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