Plate Tectonics

By Alex N.

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 HOME
• Continental Plates
• Plate Map
• Oceanic Plates
• Plate Movement
• Earthquakes
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Tsunamis
 Continental Plates
The Earth is made up of 15 masses of rock
called plates, 9 of these are called
Continental plates, the Eurasian plate,
Filipino plate, the Caribbean plate, the
North and South American plates. Also the
African, Arabian and Indian plates and
finally the Australian plate.
 Oceanic Plates
The other 6 are called Oceanic plates they are the
plates on which only the oceans are placed. The
Pacific, Nazca, Scotia, Cocos and Juan de Fuca
plates are perfect examples of this.
Whereas Continental plates have parts of oceans
on them. These are the Australian, both American,
African and the Eurasian plates that, if you look at
the map on the previous page, are all just
Continental plates with half an ocean on it of which
joins to the other half on another plate.
 Plate Movement
Because of the convectional currents under the earth’s surface, the plates
move around each other. This means the plates are grinding together very
slowly.( see diagram )
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volcanic
tsunamis
eruptions

Sometimes the plates get stuck. When they free, the plates jolt away from each
other. This can create earthquakes, which if in the middle of the sea can make
a tsunami. Also if there is a leak in the crust, a volcanic eruption is another
result.
 Earthquakes
Earthquakes are created by plate movement. They
can range from undetectable tremors to
massive, devastating catastrophes.
Volcanic Eruptions
The second result of plate
movement. As the plates move
apart, the hot magma seeps
through into lava to erupt out of
the mountain. After a few million
years, the mountain is very big
because the lava has built up
and cooled. If the volcano is not
erupting, it is ‘dormant’. Dormant
volcanoes can erupt at any time
with unthinkable force.
Tsunamis
Tsunamis are giant waves
created by underwater
earthquakes that vibrate
the water so much that big
ripples are created these
ripples get pulled up by the
‘suck-back’ from the beach
and become great torrents
of water.