Plate tectonics

The word, tectonic, refers to the deformation of the crust as a consequence of plate interaction. The Earths crust is divided into 12 major plates which are moved in various directions. This plate motion causes them to collide, pull apart, or scrape against each other. Each type of interaction causes a characteristic set of Earth structures or tectonic! features. These plates are made of lithosphere. The lithosphere is made up of the crust and the upper part of the mantle. "elow the lithosphere #which ma$es up the tectonic plates% is the asthenosphere

Plates! of lithosphere are moved around &y the underlying hot mantle convection cells. 'n the mantle hot material rises towards the lithosphere

The hot material reaches the &ase of the lithosphere where it cools and sin$s &ac$ down through the mantle. The cool material is replaced &y more hot material, and so on forming a large convection cell! #as pictured in the diagram%.
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This slow &ut incessant movement in the mantle causes the rigid tectonic plates to move #float% around the earth surface #at an equally slow rate%.

Three types of plate &oundary

(ivergent) (ivergent &oundaries are where plates move away from each other

E*+,P-E
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.onvergent) .onvergent &oundaries are where the plates move towards each other

E*+,P-E 'ndia


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Transform ) Transform &oundaries are where the plates slide past each other.

E*+,P-E The /an +ndreas fault

.01T'1E1T+- (2'3T
The movement of the Earth4s continents relative to each other &y appearing to drift across the ocean &ed is called continental drift. The speculation that continents might have 4drifted4 was first put forward &y +&raham 0rtelius in 1567. The concept was independently #and more fully% developed &y +lfred 8egener in 1612. The theory of continental drift was superseded &y the theory of plate tectonics, which &uilds upon and &etter e9plains why the continents move.

8E:E1E2
The hypothesis that the continent drift was first presented &y +lfred 8egener in 1612. 8egener was the first to use the phrase ;continental drift; #1612, 1615% and formally pu&lish the hypothesis that the continents had somehow ;drifted; apart. +lthough he presented much evidence for continental drift, he was una&le to provide a convincing e9planation for the physical processes which might have caused this drift. <is suggestion that the continents had &een pulled apart &y the centrifugal pseudo force #Polflucht% of the Earth4s rotation or &y a small component of

astronomical precession was rejected as calculations showed that the force was not sufficient. Evidence that continents 4drift
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3ossil patterns across continents #:ondwanaland%.

Mesosaurus s$eleton, ,ac:regor, 16=>. Evidence for the movement of continents on tectonic plates is now e9tensive. /imilar plant and animal fossils are found around different continent shores, suggesting that they were once joined. The fossils of ,esosaurus, a freshwater reptile rather li$e a small crocodile, found &oth in "ra?il and /outh +frica, are one e9ample@ The theory of continental drift was not accepted for many years. 0ne pro&lem was that a plausi&le driving force was missing.A1B +nd it did not help that 8egener was not a geologist. 0ther geologists also &elieved that the evidence that 8egener had provided was not sufficient. The "ritish geologist +rthur <olmes championed the theory of continental drift at a time when it was deeply unfashiona&le. <e proposed that the Earth4s mantle contained convection cells that dissipated radioactive heat and moved the crust at the surface. <is Principles of Physical Geology, ending with a chapter on continental drift, was pu&lished in 16CC :eological maps of the time showed huge land &ridges spanning the +tlantic and 'ndian oceans to account for the similarities of fauna and flora and the divisions of the +sian continent in the Permian era &ut failing to account for glaciations in 'ndia, +ustralia and /outh +frica. +s late as 165D E just five years &efore .arey introduced the theory of plate tectonics E the theory of continental drift was rejected

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