Ch. 1 Sec. 5 Theory of Plate Tectonics
May 16, 2015
Ch. 1 Sec. 5 Theory of Plate Tectonics
Earth’s Lithospheric Plates
separate sections that the lithosphere is broken into
platesplates
Plate Tectonic TheoryPlate Tectonic Theory• geological theory• states that pieces of Earth’s lithosphere
are in slow, constant motion• driven by convection currents in mantle
The continents fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
Plates moving animation
3 kinds of plate
boundaries
1. Transform boundary
2. Divergent boundary
3. ConvergentBoundary
Types of Plate BoundariesTypes of Plate Boundaries
1. transform boundary
• 2 plates slip past each other
• move in opposite directions
• earthquakes occur frequently here
transform boundary
2. divergent boundary
• 2 plates move apart
• most occur @ mid-ocean ridge
• when on land- forms rift valley
divergent boundary
3. convergent boundary
• 2 plates converge (come together)
• result= collision
• density determines which plate comes out on top
convergent boundary
• 225 million years ago-
Pangaea began to break apart
transform boundary
• 2 plates slip past each other
• move in opposite directions
• earthquakes occur frequently along these boundaries
convergent boundary
• 2 plates converge (come together)
• result= collision
• density determines which plate comes out on top
divergent boundary
• 2 plates move apart
• most occur at mid-ocean ridge
• when on land- forms rift valley
separate sections that the lithosphere is broken into
platesplates