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Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics
Why study this in this class?
Tectonic processes make volcanoes ultimate source of carbon dioxide, water,
and other gases to the atmosphere
Weathering of mountains controls atmospheric
carbon dioxide, makes soils.
Plate Tectonics
Plate tectonic theory : Earths
surface composed of ridgid, plates
that are mobile and interact with
each other.
Revolutionized earth science in
the 1960s.
Grew out of older ideas of
continental drift, normally
attributed to Alfred Wegener in
1924.
Continental Drift
Snider-Pelligrini (1858)
http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/historical.html
Wegeners Hypothesis
Continental Drift
Continental
Crust
Ocean Crust
Evidence
Shapes of continents
Antarctic fossils records
African glacial deposits
Understanding of the
Structure of the Earth
Lead to Acceptance of
the Theory of
Plate Tectonics
Body Waves
Surface
Waves
Focus
Body Waves
1) Primary- Wave or Compression Wave: wave
m o v e s in same direction as original force.
FORCE
Slower Velocity
Faster Velocity
Slower Velocity
Faster Velocity
Slower Velocity
Faster Velocity
Slower Velocity
Faster Velocity
Slower Velocity
Faster Velocity
Slower Velocity
Faster Velocity
lid
So
P-waves
Solid
lid
So
ui
q
Li
Mantle
lid
So
Mantle
Li
S-waves
id
qu
lid
So
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11
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NORMAL POLARITY
REVERSED POLARITY
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1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Age (Ma)
NORMAL
REVERSED
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Mid-Ocean Ridges
15
Moving Plates
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Total Picture
Back to Climate
Plate Tectonics
Wilson Cylces
17
Wilson Cycles
Asthenosphere
Continents colide
is not same temp.
Supercontinent
Everywhere
forms
Continents are
Athenosphere gets
drawn toward
hot under continent
cold region
Continents again
move toward cold
region
Supercontinent
breaks apart
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Continental Drift
Continental Drift
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Continental Drift
Continental Drift
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