WHAT IS PLATE TECTONICS?

We already know that the Earth’s lithosphere consist of crust and upper
mantle. There are two kinds of crust: the continental crust that makes up the
continent and oceanic crust that makes up the ocean floor. We can
differentiate that continental crust is thicker than the oceanic crust but
oceanic crust is denser than continental crust.

As shown on the this side, there are several relatively large plates and
some are small plates including the Philippine plate. Plates are rigid sections of
the lithosphere that move as a unit. This plates move very slow but constantly
and this movement is called tectonics; thus the theory of moving lithospheric
plate that slowly shift position (lithosphere + crust) is called plate tectonics.

EARTHQUAKE
The shaking or trembling caused by the sudden release of potential
energy is called earthquakes. Usually it is associated with faulting or breaking
loose of locked plates.
 Focus - The point within Earth where faulting begins
 Epicenter - The point directly above the focus on the surface
 We learned in our Grade 8 Science that an earthquake releases three
types of seismic waves: Primary (P-waves), Secondary (S-waves), and Long
surface waves (L-waves). These waves travel at different velocities; thus, do
not arrive at a seismic recording station at the same time. The farther the
recording instrument is from the focus, the greater the difference in arrival
times of the first P-wave compared to the first S-wave. The difference in the
arrival time will tell us the distance of the earthquake’s focus from the seismic
recording station. However, it does not tell in which direction it came from.

One method of locating an epicenter is through the time-honored

method taught in most earth science classes called triangulation.
Triangulation requires that you determine the exact arrival time of the P and S
waves produced by an earthquake for at least three different seismograph
stations. Plotting the difference between arrival times at a specific
seismograph station on a travel-time graph will determine the distance to the
earthquake. Drawing a circle from each of the three stations will determine
the location of the epicenter. The three circles should intersect at one point
which is the epicenter.

Scientists study and record seismic data and volcanic activity in order
to support the theory of plate tectonics. The evidence proves that there is a
district relationship between seismic activity, volcanic activity, and the
lithospheric plate boundaries. The interaction along plate boundaries results in
an increased frequency of earthquakes at those locations. Additoinally,
stronger earthquakes are more likely to occur along active plate boundaries.

Patterns of Earthquake and Volcanoes

1. Convergent Boundaries where two plates are colliding. Subduction zones
occur when one or both of the tectonic plates are composed of oceanic crust.
The denser plate is subducted underneath the less dense plate. The plate being
forced under is eventually melted and destroyed.

Oceaninc–Oceanic Oceanic–Continental Continental–Continental

– causing an island arc – causing volcanoes – mountains

Formation of Philippine Arcipelago

The territory of the Philippines is composed of many island arcs formed by
several incidents of subduction. The island arcs are collectively called Philippines
island arc system. Each major Philippine island had a complex natural history.

With the exception of Palawan, Mindoro and Romblon, most of the

Philippine islands are considered to have been parts of island arcs formed at the
southern edge of the Philippine Sea plate millions of years ago.[4] As part of the
Philippine Sea plate, the islands moved northward as the plate rotated
clockwise. These roving islands, known as the Philippine Mobile Belt, eventually
collided with the Sundaland. The collision resulted, among others, in a series of
subductions around Philippine archipelago.

2. Divergent Boundaries – where two plates are moving apart. The space
created can also fill with new crustal material sourced from molten magma that
forms below. Divergent boundaries can form within continents but will
eventually open up and become ocean basins
 On land – Divergent boundaries within continents initially produce rifts,
which produce rift valleys.
 Under the sea – The most active divergent plate boundaries are between
oceanic plates and are often called mid-oceanic ridges.

3. Transform Boundaries - where plates slide passed each other. The relative
motion of the plates is horizontal. They can occur underwater or on land, and
crust is neither destroyed nor created. Because of friction, the plates cannot
simply glide past each other. Rather, stress builds up in both plates and when it
exceeds the threshold of the rocks, the energy is released – causing
earthquakes.
Hotspot
A volcanic hot-spot is an area in the mantle from which heat rises in the
form of a thermal plume from deep within the Earth. Higher heat and lower
pressure at the base of the lithosphere melts rock and forms magma. The
magma rises through the cracks in the lithosphere and erupts to form
volcanoes. As the tectonic plates continue to move over a stationary hot-
spot, the volcanoes break away and move along with the plate allowing new
volcanoes to form in their place. This plate tectonic movement over a hot-
spot results in chains of volcanoes, such as the Hawaiian Islands.