Plate Movement
There are 3 different types of plate movement: Convergent, Divergent, and Transform.
Each of these types move in different ways. By now you might be wondering how do they move and when did they start moving.
Each of these types move in different ways. By now you might be wondering how do they move and when did they start moving.
Convergent Boundaries
Convergent boundaries are when two plates are moving toward each other. There are three kinds of convergent plate movement:
Oceanic to Oceanic The more brittle oceanic plate will go underneath the other oceanic plate. The brittle plate will then eventually break and cause an earthquake.
Oceanic to Continental The thick continental plate forces the thin brittle oceanic plate underneath the continental plate. When the oceanic plate breaks an earthquake occurs.
Continental to Continental Continental plates have the same strength. When two converge, the tips of the plates are forced upwards creating volcanoes and mountains.
Subduction Zones When two plates of differing strengths converge one plate overpowers the other and forces it underneath the stronger plate.
Questions and Answers:
Q. What happens when two plates converge?
A. When two plates converge mountains or volcanoes can be formed, earthquakes can occur as well.
Q. About how far do plates move in a year?
A. Plates move about a couple of centimeters per year.
Oceanic to Oceanic The more brittle oceanic plate will go underneath the other oceanic plate. The brittle plate will then eventually break and cause an earthquake.
Oceanic to Continental The thick continental plate forces the thin brittle oceanic plate underneath the continental plate. When the oceanic plate breaks an earthquake occurs.
Continental to Continental Continental plates have the same strength. When two converge, the tips of the plates are forced upwards creating volcanoes and mountains.
Subduction Zones When two plates of differing strengths converge one plate overpowers the other and forces it underneath the stronger plate.
Questions and Answers:
Q. What happens when two plates converge?
A. When two plates converge mountains or volcanoes can be formed, earthquakes can occur as well.
Q. About how far do plates move in a year?
A. Plates move about a couple of centimeters per year.
Divergent Boundaries
<------This picture shows two plates diverging causing magma from the mantle to fill in the crack. The magma settles and hardens forming new crust.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Q. What are divergent boundaries?
A. At every divergent boundary new crust is created as two or more plates diverge. New crust is created by the magma pushing up from the mantle. Divergent boundaries are the areas where the plates move apart. Oceans grow wider where the plates diverge.
Q. When did plates start to shift?
A The earth started shifting about 500 million years ago. The earth was once one big continent called Pangea.
Q. What does Pangea mean?
A. Pangea is Greek, meaning "all lands".
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Q. What are divergent boundaries?
A. At every divergent boundary new crust is created as two or more plates diverge. New crust is created by the magma pushing up from the mantle. Divergent boundaries are the areas where the plates move apart. Oceans grow wider where the plates diverge.
Q. When did plates start to shift?
A The earth started shifting about 500 million years ago. The earth was once one big continent called Pangea.
Q. What does Pangea mean?
A. Pangea is Greek, meaning "all lands".
Transform Boundaries
This picture shows two plates sliding by each other. The two plates can slide
either in the same direction or opposite directions. The plates can also slide at different speeds.
Questions and Answers:
Q. What is a transform boundary?
A. A transform boundary is the place where two plates slide by each other.
Q. How do plates move?
A. The convection currents in the mantle are what move the tectonic plates.
Q. What happens at a transform boundary?
A. The plates are not squared or perfectly straight therefore when they slide they get caught on one another. Once one of the plates gives in, the release of the energy causes an earthquake.
either in the same direction or opposite directions. The plates can also slide at different speeds.
Questions and Answers:
Q. What is a transform boundary?
A. A transform boundary is the place where two plates slide by each other.
Q. How do plates move?
A. The convection currents in the mantle are what move the tectonic plates.
Q. What happens at a transform boundary?
A. The plates are not squared or perfectly straight therefore when they slide they get caught on one another. Once one of the plates gives in, the release of the energy causes an earthquake.
Pangea
In 1915 Alfred Wegener discovered Pangea, a super continent. At first no one believed that there was ever such a thing as Pangea, but he proved them wrong. He hypothesized if two continents across the Atlantic ocean from each other have the same plant and animal fossils, then they must have once been joined together. These two continents fit together like puzzle pieces and share the same rock types.