Early maps showing the similarity between the east coast of south america and the west coast of africa provided people with the first evidence that the continents may. It affects all of us because it explains where and why such natural disasters as. Plate tectonics seems to be treated as a field of study at times, rather than the unifying theory that it is. Chapter 1 plate tectonics power point linkedin slideshare. Plate tectonics this is the plate tectonics differentiation stations. Wegeners theory and sea floor maps were used to develop the theory of plate tectonics. Frank taylor first proposed this idea in 1910, alexander du toit later in 1937, harry hess explored the geomorphology of the seafloor by ship in 1960s. Plate tectonics plate tectonics, earth science lessons. Plate tectonics has become a unifying theory of geology because it can explain so many. Plate tectonics is a relatively new, wellsupported scientific theory that helps explain. All the time, but the process is slow and known only from geological records.
Plate tectonics grew out of a theory that was first developed in the early 20th century by the meteorologist alfred wegener. Plate tectonics chapter introduction 61alfred wegener and the origin of an idea. What were the major lines of evidence for continental drift as presented by wegener in the early 20th century. The continental shelves actually fit together even better. According to the theory, earth has a rigid outer layer, known as the lithosphere, which is typically about 100 km 60 miles thick and overlies a plastic moldable, partially molten layer called the asthenosphere. Chapter 3 plates tectonic a unifying theory chapter 3. This movement affects subduction, sea floor spreading, volcanic activity, mountain building, and other geological phenomenon. May 21, 2012 if the idea of plate tectonics is the unifying theory of the science of geology, then this mapping activity is the unifying assignment of high school earth science. A theory that ties other theories together to give a more complete picture of natural occurrences, such as plate tectonics. Learn tectonics theory plate unifying with free interactive flashcards. Plate tectonics, theory dealing with the dynamics of earths outer shellthe lithospherethat revolutionized earth sciences by providing a uniform context for understanding mountainbuilding processes, volcanoes, and earthquakes as well as the evolution of earths surface and reconstructing its past continents and oceans. Plate tectonics plate tectonics is a unifying theory that states that the earth is composed of lithospheric crustal plates that move slowly, change size, and interact with one another.
Plate tectonic theory is considered a unifying theory because. Sep 17, 2009 the theory of plate tectonics explains how plates and their continents move. We live on a layer of earth known as the lithosphere which is a collection of rigid slabs that are shifting and sliding into each other. Geological understanding of plate tectonics 25 that plate tectonics cools the mantle whereas mantle plumes cool the earths core. Plate tectonics is crucial to our understanding about how all earth processes happen from the rock cycle to the building of mountains to volcanoes, to earthquakes, and more a unifying theory is the main theory that explains how a whole group of natural phenomenon come about. The theory of plate tectonics is a unifying theory for geology. Plate tectonicsthe unifying theory of geology geology. Plate tectonics unifying theory plate tectonics describe movement of continental and oceanic plates and forces driving them.
Plate tectonics is a relatively new, wellsupported scientific theory that helps explain earths landforms, catastrophic events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and other. Although plate tectonics is a relatively young idea in comparison with unifying theories from other sciences e. Plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the. Plate tectonics is the grand, unifying theory of earth sciences, combining the concepts of continental drift and seafloor spreading into one holistic theory that. Pdf introduction to plate boundaries and natural hazards. The theory encompasses the older concepts of continental drift, developed.
Teaching plate tectonics with easytodraw illustrations is fun and effective. The history of plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory that was first proposed in the early 1900s by scientist alfred wegener, but was not said to be true until the 1960s. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory of the earth how did the theory develop. The lithosphere is broken up into seven very large continental and oceansized plates, six or seven mediumsized regional. When the concept of seafloor spreading came along, scientists recognized that it was the mechanism to explain how continents could move around earths surface. The concept of plate tectonics was formulated in the 1960s. When a plate sinks below another plate, it pulls on the rest of the plate, exerting a force called. Plate tectonics provides a single unifying theory for understanding the dynamics of earth as everything about earth is mostly related either directly or indirectly to it condie 1998. This theory explains how crustal plates move around the surface of the earth, and it allows geologists to find explanations for geologic events such as earthquakes and volcanoes, as well as the many other processes that form, transform, and destroy rocks. Plate interiors generally lack earthquakes, volcanoes, young mountain belts, and other evidence of geologic activity. We reference it almost daily hammering home where the boundaries are, how they interact, and what happens when they move in various ways. Plate tectonics theory, diagrams, boundaries geology. The plates make up earths outer shell, called the lithosphere.
In the following expedition, we will explore a concept that explains these observations with a unifying theory the theory of plate tectonics which caused a revolution in scientific thinking only a few decades ago. Plate tectonics by combining the sea floor spreading theory with continental drift and information on global seismicity, the new theory of plate tectonics became a coherent theory to explain crustal movements. Few decades ago, it was believed that continents and ocean basins were fixed and permanent features and that the theory of. The theory has caused a revolution in the way we think about the earth. Earths geography has changed through time and continues to change today. Plate tectonics plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology and revolutionized geology cornerstone of earthsystem approach. It tells how the surface of the earth is formed and changes. Jan 23, 2020 plate tectonics is the scientific theory that attempts to explain the movements of the earths lithosphere that have formed the landscape features we see across the globe today. In the early 1960s, the emergence of the theoryof plate tectonicsstarted a revolution in the earth sciences. The glaciations on the gondwana continents could only have occurred if the continents were joined since the centers of the glaciers would have been in the ocean if they were not.
The hypothesis of continental drift was based on consider able geologic, paleontologic, and climatologic evidence. The continents looked as though they might fit together like puzzle pieces. Alternative conceptions of plate tectonics held by. The fit is even more impressive if the continents are. Plate tectonics is the most important paradigm in geology. Continental drift, largescale horizontal movement of continents relative to one another and to the ocean basins during one or more episodes of geologic time. Along spreading centers in the sea floor, melted rock rises through cracks, cools, and forms new crust that builds up midocean ridges. Theory of plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains earths geological. Since its early inception in the 1950s and 1960s, geologists have been guided by. The drawing above is a cross section of the earth showing the components that lie within plate tectonic theory. According to plate tectonic theory, these features are caused by plate interactions at plate boundaries. Tectonic plates float on melted magma that is just below the surface of the earth.
It also helps to explain the occurrence of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains a theory in progress. Introduction to plate boundaries and natural hazards. Plate tectonics is the grand unifying theory of geosciences, but its actually not that old. Continental drift and the development of plate tectonic theory. Plate tectonics, our major paradigm for how the earth works, was established in the 1960ies following decades of observational research that culminated in key discoveries such as geomagnetic. This concept was an important precursor to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, which incorporates it. For geology plate tectonics is similar in importance as the discovery of dna is to biology. A good way to have a variety of lessonrelated activities in groups. In 1912, wegener noticed that the coastlines of the east coast of south america and the west coast of africa seemed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. How many major crustal plates form the lithosphere.
Theory of plate tectonics earth science lumen learning. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology, the framework into which. Plate tectonic theory a brief history of plate tectonic. Plate tectonics has become the unifying theory of geology. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. Alfred wegener a german scientist who proposed the theory of continental drift in the 1900s. Plate tectonics plate tectonics toward a unifying theory. This unit engages students in an indepth, studentdirected investigation and several guided inquiries to discover, test, and use the theory of plate tectonics. Depending on the material they travel through, the waves may either speed up, slow down, bend, or even stop if they cannot penetrate the material they encounter. The theory of plate tectonics geology lumen learning. These slabs are called tectonic plates and fit together like pieces to a puzzle. In fact, my freshman advisor in college wrote the benchmark paper that outlined the mathematical model of plate tectonics, so in a sense, im only one generation removed from the pre plate tectonics era. Continental drift and plate tectonics university of iceland. It is the unifying theory that relates the formation of mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, the differences between the ocean basins and continents to a understandable and predictable global process.
Below is a list of super continents along with dates of merge formation and break upsplit into smaller plates that in turn merge with others to,form larger plates and e. Plate tectonics is the theory that the outer rigid layer of the earth the lithosphere is divided into a couple of dozen plates that move around across the earths surface relative to each other, like slabs of ice on a lake. A unifying theory it is just as if we were to refit the torn pieces of a. The shifts and movements of these plates shape our landscape including the. The original supercontinent was named pangaea by wegener. Since the development of the theory, geologists have had to reexamine almost every aspect of. By definition, the word plate in geologic terms means a large slab of solid rock.
Knowledge of earths interior is derived primarily from analysis of the seismic waves that propagate through earth as a result of earthquakes. Tectonic theories attempt to explain why mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes occur where. Plate tectonic theory is the unifying theory of geology. Plate tectonics is the central unifying theory for geology and. Three types of plate boundaries are recognized divergent convergent transform boundaries are zones of earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology considerable geologic, paleontology, and climatologic evidence is used to support the theory interior processes are involved in plate. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the earth move and deform. Plate tectonics information and facts national geographic. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. To understand how plate tectonics became earths dominant. Unifying theory of geology class earth science erratics. A unifying theory lithosphere the lithosphere is the rigid outer part of earth made up of rocks in the crust attached to the upper part of mantle. Continental crust ocean crust corethe core is the central part of earth.
However, the process responsible for continental drift remained enigmatic. Science classroom plate tectonics 27 ideas for 2019 browse over educational resources created by the stem center in the official teachers pay teachers store. Early maps showing the similarity between the east coast of south america and the west coast of africa provided people with the first evidence that the continents may once have been united and subsequently split apart. On solid ground article on wegners development of his theory thinking routines connectextendchallenge. Choose from 500 different sets of tectonics theory plate unifying flashcards on quizlet. Quizzes can be used to checkin after acquisition lessons. Ever since the first maps of the atlantic ocean were made in the 16th century people noticed how africa and south america fit together like pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia plate tectonics from greek, tekton builder or mason describes the large scale motions of earths lithosphere. The theory of plate tectonics is the unifying theory that.
The continental drift hypothesis 62the earths layers 62athe crust 62bthe mantle 62cthe lithosphere 62dthe asthenosphere 62ethe mantle below the asthenosphere 62fthe core 63the seafloor spreading hypothesis 64the theory of plate tectonics. Alfred wegener a german scientist who proposed the theory. Plate tectonics is the theory that unified all the puzzling data from early observations, accounted for the movement of the plates of the earth, and gave a mechanism for how the plates actually. Since the theory of plate tectonics was first introduced, how far has the tectonic plate were standing on moved. It affects all of us because it explains where and why such natural disasters as earthquakes. It appears the redirect was made without any discussion on the talk page. Like the scientists before us, we will now merge the ideas of continental drift and seafloor spreading into the theory of plate tectonics. It explains locations of mountain chains, earthquakes, rock assemblages, and structures on sea floor. Topics include a history of the theory, scientific developments that spurred its development, the mechanics of plate motions, and the relationship of hotspots to plate tectonic. In other words, cooling of the mantle leads to plate tectonics while cooling of the core is responsible for mantle plumes. Plate tectonics plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology. A unifying theory chapter 3 chapter objectives plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology and has revolutionized geology. This theory was amalgamated from a variety of studies that began in the early 20th.
The plate tectonics theory and mantle plume concept thus complement each other to ex. It explains the connection between continental drift and the formation and destruction of crust along plate boundaries. A new unifying and general theory in geomorphology. Plate tectonics conclusion plate tectonics is the grand, unifying theory of earth sciences, combining the concepts of continental drift and seafloor spreading into one holistic theory that explains many of the major structural features of the earths surface. Plate tectonics map of the world, showing plates, boundaries, boundary types and more.
The theory of plate tectonics proposes that the lithosphere is divided into a series of plates that fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Pdf on sep 15, 1994, charles musarurwa and others published plate tectonics. Plate tectonics the tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. Plate tectonics is the framework in which geologists study and understand the inner workings of the earth. Plate tectonics toward a unifying theory britannica. Since plate tectonics is able to explain all these things, and these things happen under the plate tectonic theory of plates in the earth moving around, its called a unifying theory or a paradigm. Find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology and has. This theory was amalgamated from a variety of studies that began in the early 20th century and culminated in the 1960s.
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