SCIENCE 10 - Density of 2.

6 g/cm3
- is the outermost layer of the
Plate tectonics
earth composed of upper part of
- is a scientific theory that explains the mantle and the crust.
how geologic Features and - Extends about 80km deep
landforms are created from the - Divided into continental and
movement of the Earth. oceanic crust.
- earth's crust is broken into Seven
Continental crust
large plates and into several
smaller plates. - is less dense, thicker
- mainly composed of granite.
PLATE TECTONICS THEORY
- It has a thickness about roughly
- is the theory that Earth's outer continental crust 35-70 km thick.
shell is divided into large slabs of - Its primary composition is
solid rock, called "plates," that granite, which is a low-density,
glide over Earth's mantle, the light-coloured, coarse-grained,
rocky inner layer above Earth's felsic igneous rock.
core.
Oceanic Crust
- The world before is a big
"Pangea" later on divided into - is denser and thinner
two supercontinents "Laurasia - is 7-10 km thick
and Gondwana". - mainly composed of basalt.
- Its primary rock composition is
• The plate tectonics theory states basalt, a high density, dark-
that EARTH'S lithosphere is coloured, Fine-grained, mafic,
composed Fragments or plates igneous and gabbro rock.
that move around and interact
• Due to differences in densities, it
with one another.
results in different geologic phenomena
Alfred Lothar Wegener such as earthquakes and volcanic
activities.
- was a German climatologist,
geologist, geophysicist, • It also results in the formation of
meteorologist, and polar different surface features such as
researcher. mountain ranges, trenches, and
- known as the father of Plate underwater volcanoes and
Tectonic Theory which is the seamounts.
modern version of the first theory
ASTHENOSPHERE
"Continental drift theory".
- It is a ductile layer under the
THE CRUST
solid lithosphere.
- made of various types of rocks - It is primarily composed of
and sediments floating on top of rocks that are partly molten
a malleable upper mantle which due to high temperature and
extends about 50 km deep. pressure under the lithosphere.
CONVECTION CURRENT INSIDE THE associated with SUBDUCTION
EARTH ZONES, where oceanic crust
descends towards the mantle
* When one cell's directional movement
due to differences in density of
meets the other, the two plates will
the subducting plate, the
move together, creating geologic
asthenosphere, and the
features such as trenches, volcanoes,
overriding plate.
and mountain.
SUBDUCTION OCEANIC LITOSHPERE
* Plates boundaries can move in
different directions resulting in different - is destroyed along trenches
outcomes. - is recycled back into the
asthenosphere.
* The movement of each tectonic plate
is slow and constant relative to one TYPES OF CONVERGENT PLATE
another. This movement creates the BOUNDARIES:
different crustal features, and all major
1. OCEANIC-CONTINENTAL
interactions happen along the plate
CONVERGENT MARGINS
margins.
2. OCEANIC-OCEANIC
DIVERGENT BOUNDARIES CONVERGENT
3. CONTINENTAL-CONTINENTAL
- a zone in the Earth's crust where
CONVERGENT MARGINS
the plates move away from each
other. OCEANIC-CONTINENTAL
- Considered as “CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERGENT MARGINS:
MAGRINS” it is where the new
- The denser oceanic crust
ocean floor is generated.
subducts under the lighter
- May also develop with
continental crust.
continents.
- This process forms continental
- Spreading of landmasses into 2
VOLCANIC ARCS.
segments forms continental rifts.
• ARCS – are long, sublinear
In time, these rifts WIDEN to
chains of volcanoes following the
FORM NEW SEAS.
orientation of ocean trenches.
CONVERGENT PLATE • TRENCHES – are also formed in
the intersection of oceanic and
- Are plate boundaries where
continental crust.
plates MOVE TOWARD EACH
-is a deep, narrow
OTHER
depression on the ocean seafloor
- 3 TYPES: Oceanic-Continental,
caused by the collision or
Oceanic-Oceanic, and
subduction of plates.
Continental-Continental
collision. OCEANIC-OCEANIC CONVERGENT
MARGINS:
• CONVERGENT PLATE
BOUNDARIES are often
 - The older and much denser plate plates collide, such as the
subducts under the younger Himalayas that run through the
plate. countries of India, China,
- This process forms VOLCANIC Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan,
ISLAND ARCS. and Nepal, and the Alps that run
through the countries of France,
CONTINENTAL-CONTINENTAL
Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.
CONVERGENT MARGINS:
- Some mountain ranges are found
- Convergent plate boundaries underwater. These underwater
may also develop through the mountain chains results from
collision of 2 continental plates. diverging plates. They were
formed from spewing magma
O C Volcanic Oceanic -
along the fractures to which
Arc Continental
these plates are moving away
O O Volcanic Oceanic-
from each other.
Island Arc Oceanic
C C Mountain Continental- - The rift valley - is another feature
Ranges Continental that results from plate
movement. As plates move
apart, they create a depression
Transform Plate Boundaries: or a lowland region along the
- along transform plate boundaries separation of the plates.
of transform fault. - This can be seen not only on land
- Plates slide past one another in a surfaces but also in the ocean
HORIZONTAL motion PARALLEL floor. The Great Rift Valley of
to the plate boundary separating Africa is an example of this rifting
the 2 plates. due to tectonic movement.
- "Conservative Margins" (no
production or destruction of
crust occurs)
- No upwelling of magma that is
why there is no active volcanism.
• ACTIVE TRANSFORM FAULTS –
are generally defined by weak
and shallow earthquakes.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
MOVEMENT OF PLATE BOUNDARY
- Different movements described
by the different plate boundaries
create various geologic features
and events or phenomena.
- New mountain chains appear in
the continental crust when two