Name

Mustafa Abbas

Roll No

PE-035

Subject

Geoscience

Department
Date

Petroleum Engineering
8/11/2015

PLATE TACTONICS
Tectonic means movement. Plate tectonic is the term used to
denote processes involved in movement of plates or when they
interact with each other.
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 earth's surface relative to
each other, like slabs of ice on a lake.
Tactonic plates are divided into two types,
1. Major plates
2. Minor plates

Major plates:- A major plate is any plate with an area greater than
10 million km2.

Pacific Plate 103,300,000 km2

North American Plate 75,900,000 km2

Eurasian Plate 67,800,000 km2

African Plate 61,300,000 km2

Antarctic Plate 60,900,000 km2

Indo-Australian Plate 58,000,000 km2

South American Plate 43,600,000 km2

Minor plates:-

a minor plate is any plate with an area less

than 10 million km2 but greater than 1 million km2.

Nazca Plate 5,500,000 km2

Philippine Sea Plate 5,500,000 km2

Arabian Plate 5,000,000 km2

Caribbean Plate 3,300,000 km2

Cocos Plate 2,900,000 km2

Caroline Plate 1,700,000 km2

Scotia Plate 1,600,000 km2

Burma Plate 1,100,000 km2

New Hebrides Plate 1,100,000 km2

The theory of plate tactonics was put forward by Alfred Wegener in

early 19s. he pointed out the simalirity of geology and structure
between different continents and ocean on the basis of analogy
between plant life animal life mineral extension and geological
structure and proved all external and internal processes. He
concluded that

The earth was considered as a single entity,

consisting of a single continent called PANGAEA
surrounded by only one body of water (ocean) called
PANTHALASA.

In starting there is only one ocean and one continent but due to the
movement of earth big continent are broken down to form small
continent.

TYPES OF PLATE MOVEMENT

1.

Convergent movement:-

Convergent movement is the type of movement in which two plates

moves towards each other. Suturc zone is called the point at which
two plates collides. When two plates collide part of plate which
move up is called obduction zone. The part of plate which moves
down is called subduction zone Point at which two plates are
merged are called covergent plate boundary.The plate which is
lighter moves upward, whereas the heavier moves downward.
Features:- mountain building is the most significant feature of
convergent movement. Other are,
1. Magamtism
2. Volcanism
3. Earthquake

Divergent movement:-

The type of movement in which two plates move away from each
other is called divergent movement.
Features:- These type of movement commonly occurred in oceanic
plate, other features are
1. Eruption of lava
2. Ridges and rift
3. Volcanism

Side wise movement:-

The type of movement in which two plate slides over each other is
called strike slip movement. Strike means extension of feature

along horizontal surface. Slip is the angle made by the horizontal

feature.
Features:- earthquake is the significant feature for this type of
movement. Other features are,
1. give rise to tsunami
2. volcanism
3. no mountain building process.
REFERENCES
Picture sources used in this topics are
1. major & minor plates
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm
2. theory of plate tactonics
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm
3. convergent movement
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm
4. divergent movement
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm
5. strike slip movement
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm