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Earth's Interior, Continental Drift & Plate Tectonics

The document summarizes key aspects of Earth's interior structure, continental drift, and plate tectonics. It describes how the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere make up Earth's spheres. It then details the layers within Earth's interior and how convection currents in the mantle drive the movement of tectonic plates. The theory of continental drift and evidence supporting it is outlined, followed by an explanation of plate tectonics and the different types of plate boundaries where plates converge, diverge, and slide past one another.

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Omar Najm
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5K views

Earth's Interior, Continental Drift & Plate Tectonics

The document summarizes key aspects of Earth's interior structure, continental drift, and plate tectonics. It describes how the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere make up Earth's spheres. It then details the layers within Earth's interior and how convection currents in the mantle drive the movement of tectonic plates. The theory of continental drift and evidence supporting it is outlined, followed by an explanation of plate tectonics and the different types of plate boundaries where plates converge, diverge, and slide past one another.

Uploaded by

Omar Najm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Earth’s Interior,

Continental Drift &


Plate Tectonics
Spheres of the Earth
 Lithosphere (land)
– Solid part of the earth (rocks & minerals)
 Hydrosphere (water)
– Liquid part of the earth (oceans, rivers, etc…)
 Atmosphere (air)
– Gas part of the earth (oxygen, nitrogen, etc…)
Earth’s Interior
(outside to inside)
 Crust
– Oceanic – Crust below the oceans
– Continental – Crust that is made of land
 Mantle
– Liquid layer – magma (melted rock)
 Asthenosphere (Mantle)
– Part of the mantle with Convection Currents
 Outer core
– Liquid layer – made up of iron and nickel
 Inner Core
– Solid layer –
made up of iron and nickel
Continental Drift
 Alfred Wegener's theory that the continents were
once a single supercontinent called Pangaea (all
land).
 Over time this super continent slowly broke apart
into what we have today.
Evidence
 Puzzle: Continents can
fit together like a puzzle
 Fossils: Similar fossils
were found on
coastlines of different
continents.
 Rock Types: Mountains
that appear on one
coastline also appear
on another continent
across the ocean.
Plate Tectonics
 Theory of Plate Tectonics - The theory of plate
tectonics, the crust is broken up into
sections/pieces that move on top of the liquid
mantle (asthenosphere).
 Tectonic Plates – these sections/pieces of crust
are called plates
Plates
 There are 7 major plates on the earth that are
moving extremely slowly but continuously.

Major Plates: Eurasian, African, Australian-Indian,


North American, Pacific, Antarctic and South
American.

Intermediate Plates: Caribbean, Cocos, Nazca,


Arabian, Phillippine, Juan de Fuca and Scotia
Oceanic Continental
 2 main types of plates:
– Oceanic - ocean
– Continental - land
Earth’s Tectonic Plates
Convection Currents
 Convection cells in the mantle move the plates.
– Hot in the center, less dense magma rises up due to heat.
– When the magma reaches the surface, it cools and sinks
back down creating a circular pattern of movement.
 This process happens continually.
Cool

 Hot – goes UP
 Cool – goes DOWN
Crust Density
 Oceanic Plates (dense) – heavy
– Sink (subduct) underneath continental
crust
 Continental Plates (less dense) –
lighter
Plate Boundaries

 Border between 2
plates

 3 Boundary Types
– Divergent
– Convergent
– Transform
Divergent Boundaries
 Plates moving apart.
Seafloor Spreading
(oceanic-oceanic)
 The process by which new oceanic crust is
created.
 Two oceanic plates move apart and magma
comes up
 As rising magma cools, it forms new oceanic
crust. (Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
Magnetic Reversals
(Paleomagnetism)
 Evidence of Sea-floor spreading
 Youngest crust is in the center, older
as you go out
 Earth’s magnetic poles reverse from
North to South

Older Older
Young
Mid-Ocean Ridges
(oceanic-oceanic)

 A mountain under the ocean


 A mid-ocean ridge forms where
oceanic plates continue to separate.
A Rift Valley
(continental-continental)
 When continental plates pull apart,
they form rift valleys.
 Makes volcanoes and new land
(Example: East African Rift Valley)
Convergent Boundaries
 Plates come together
Subduction Zones
 When one plate goes under another
plate.
 The more dense (heavier) plate goes
under.

dense
Volcanic Arc
(Subduction: Oceanic-Continental)
 More dense (heavier) oceanic crust goes
under the less dense continental crust.
 As the plate moves under the continental
plate, the rock melts and rises, creating
volcanoes.
 Trenches are also created.
Deep-Sea Trench
(oceanic-continental)

 A depression (hole) in the ocean floor


at a subduction zone, it has sand in it.
Volcanic Island Chains
(Subduction: Oceanic-Oceanic)
 When 2 oceanic plates meet and one goes
under the other.
 Forms Volcanic Islands.
(Example: Aleutian Islands)
Mountains
(Subduction: Continental-Continental)
 When 2 continental plates come
together.
 The plates push up and form
mountains. (Example: Himalayas)
Transform Fault Boundaries
 Plates slide past one another moving in
opposite directions.
 Also called FAULTS
 Causes earthquakes/tsunamis to occur.
Faults
 Large fractures (a
break) in the earth's
crust.

 Types of Faults
– Normal
– Reverse (Thrust)
– Strike-Slip
Types of Faults
Normal Faults
 Rock moves down

Reverse Faults
 Rock moves upward

Strike-slip faults
 Rocks slide past one
another in opposite
directions.
Volcanoes
 An opening in the earth that erupts gases, ash and lava.
 Caused by plate movement along boundaries.
 Occur at both divergent and convergent plate boundaries.
– Magma - melted rock under the surface (INSIDE)
– Lava – Melted rock above the surface (OUTSIDE)
LAVA

MAGMA
Types of Volcanoes
 Shield – volcanic cone made
up of layers of hardened lava
 Cinder cone – volcanic cone
made up of rock particles,
dust and ash.
 Composite – volcanic cone
made up of alternating layers
of lava and rock particles.
Hot Spots
 A part of the mantle is REALLY hot
and magma is forced up to the surface
 Creates islands.
(Example: Hawaiian Islands)
Earthquakes
 Caused by movement along a fault.
 Occurs mainly at plate boundaries.
 Focus – point under the earth’s surface where an earthquake
starts
 Epicenter – place on earth’s surface directly above the focus

FAULT
Earthquake Waves
 Seismic Waves
 Seismograph – instrument that
measures earthquake waves
 Types of Waves
– P-Wave (primary wave) – fastest
 Moves back and forth

– S-Wave (secondary wave) – slower


 Moves up and down

– L-Wave (surface wave) – most dangerous


 Moves both back and forth AND side to side
Tsunamis
 Also called tidal waves
 Large ocean waves caused by an earthquake under
the ocean.
 Ocean floor moves along a fault creating a wave.
 Can also be caused by a landslide under or above
the water.
WAVE
Plate Boundaries
DIVERGENT BOUNDARY – move apart
Sea-Floor Spreading oceanic-oceanic (o-o) New Ocean Crust
Mid-Ocean Ridge oceanic-oceanic (o-o) Underwater Mountain
Rift Valley continental-continental (c-c) Volcanoes/New Land
CONVERGENT BOUNDARY- come together
Mountains continental-continental Mountains created
SUBDUCTION ZONES
Deep-Sea Trench oceanic-continental Depression (hole in ground)
Volcanic Arc oceanic-continental A line of volcanoes on land
Island Arc oceanic-oceanic A line of islands in the ocean
TRANSFORM BOUNDARY – slide past each other
Faults All types Earthquakes/Tsunamis

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