science 10

• Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that explains the movement and interactions of large sections of the Earth's lithosphere
• Plate tectonics

  A scientific theory that describes the movement and interactions of rigid plates that make up the Earth's lithosphere
• Types of plates


  • Continental plates
  • Oceanic plates
• Plate tectonics


  • Involves the processes of plate movement, collision, and separation, leading to various geological phenomena
• Historical development of plate tectonic theory

  1. Early observations

  2. Continental drift hypothesis

  3. Plate tectonic theory
• Continental drift hypothesis


  Proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century, suggesting that continents were once connected and have since moved
• Plate tectonic theory


  Developed in the 1960s, incorporating continental drift and seafloor spreading
• Types of plate boundaries

  • Divergent boundaries
  • Convergent boundaries
  • Transform boundaries
• Divergent boundaries


  Plates move apart, creating new crust as magma rises to fill the gap
• Divergent boundaries


  • Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  • East African Rift
• Convergent boundaries


  Plates collide, leading to subduction or mountain building
• Convergent boundaries


  • Andes Mountains
  • Himalayas
• Transform boundaries


  Plates slide past each other horizontally, resulting in earthquakes
• Transform boundaries


  • San Andreas Fault in California
• Plate movements


  • Plates can move at rates ranging from a few millimeters to several centimeters per year
• Geological phenomena


  • Plate tectonics is responsible for earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain formation, and the creation of oceanic trenches
• Recycling of Earth's material

  • The movement of plates allows for the recycling of material through subduction and volcanic activity
• Mid-Atlantic Ridge


  • An underwater mountain range formed by the divergence of the North American and Eurasian plates
• Ring of Fire


  • A region surrounding the Pacific Ocean known for its high volcanic and seismic activity due to plate interactions
• Himalayan Mountains


  • Formed as a result of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates
• Plate boundaries are the regions where tectonic plates interact and create various geological phenomena
• Plate boundaries


  The edges where two tectonic plates meet and interact with each other
• Plate boundaries


  • Dynamic regions with different geological processes occurring due to plate interactions
• Divergent boundaries


  Occur when tectonic plates move away from each other, resulting in the creation of new crust
• Divergent boundaries


  • Associated with seafloor spreading, volcanic activity, and the formation of mid-ocean ridges
• Convergent boundaries


  Occur when tectonic plates collide or move towards each other
• Subduction zones


  In some convergent boundaries, one plate is forced beneath another, leading to the formation of subduction zones
• Convergent boundaries


  • Associated with mountain building, volcanic activity, and the formation of deep-sea trenches
• Convergent boundaries


  • Andes Mountains
  • Cascade Range in North America
• Transform boundaries


  Occur when tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally
• Transform boundaries


  • Associated with intense seismic activity and the formation of faults
• Transform boundaries


  • San Andreas Fault in California, USA
• The study of earthquakes, volcanic activity, and geological features around plate boundaries provided evidence to support the plate tectonic theory
• Two-continental plates converging


  The collision or convergence of two continental plates along plate boundaries
• Two-continental plates converging


  • Leads to mountain building, seismic activity, and complex geological features
• Types of boundaries for two-continental plates converging

  • Continent-continent collision
  • Subduction
• Continent-continent collision


  Occurs when two continental plates meet head-on without subduction
• Continent-continent collision


  • Results in the folding, faulting, and uplift of the crust, leading to the formation of mountain ranges
• Continent-continent collision


  • Collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates formed the Himalayan mountain range
• Subduction zones


  When two continental plates converge, one plate may undergo subduction beneath the other