"Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates which have been slowly moving since about 3.4 billion years ago."
Study of the movements and interactions of the Earth's crustal plates and their effects on geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanoes.
Plate tectonics: This is the main theory that describes the movement and interaction of tectonic plates on Earth's surface. It includes the concepts of continental drift, seafloor spreading, subduction zones, and plate boundaries.
Earthquakes: These are vibrations in the Earth's crust caused by the sudden release of energy, usually along faults. Understanding the causes and effects of earthquakes is crucial to studying tectonics.
Volcanoes: These are openings in the Earth's surface through which magma, ash, and gas can escape. Volcanoes are often located near plate boundaries and can provide evidence for tectonic activity.
Geophysical methods: These are various techniques for studying Earth's interior, including seismic imaging, gravity measurements, and magnetic surveys. Geophysical data can help us understand the structure and composition of tectonic plates.
Mountain building: The formation of mountains is often associated with tectonic activity, such as the collision of two plates or the uplift of a region due to plate movement.
Geological time scales: The study of tectonics also involves understanding the history of Earth's crust over millions of years. This includes the concept of geological time scales and the events that shaped our planet.
Geological hazards: Tectonic activity can have severe impacts on human populations, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. Understanding the potential hazards associated with tectonics is important for planning and preparedness.
Climate and tectonics: The movement of tectonic plates can also have an impact on Earth's climate, through changes in ocean circulation, atmospheric circulation, and the evolution of ecosystems.
Plate tectonics on other planets: Studying tectonics on other planets and moons in our solar system can help us understand the processes and history of our own planet, as well as the potential for habitable environments elsewhere in the universe.
Plate Tectonics: This is the movement of lithospheric plates on the Earth's mantle, and the formation of new crust at divergent boundaries (e.g., Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and subduction zones at convergent boundaries (e.g., Pacific Ring of Fire).
Strike-Slip Tectonics: Strike-slip faults are vertical fractures where the blocks move mostly horizontally. The most famous example of a strike-slip fault is the San Andreas Fault, which is responsible for much of the seismic activity in California.
Convergent Tectonics: This is the movement of two or more tectonic plates towards each other, resulting in the formation of mountains, volcanic islands, and deep ocean trenches.
Divergent Tectonics: This is the movement of two tectonic plates away from each other, resulting in the formation of a new seafloor, and a wide range of geological features, including rift valleys, mid-ocean ridges, and volcanic islands.
Transcurrent Tectonics: This is the movement of two tectonic plates that slide past each other without either plate being destroyed or created. This type of tectonics is also known as the transform fault, and is responsible for many of the major earthquakes that occur along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Extensional Tectonics: This is the movement of tectonic plates away from each other, typically resulting in the formation of rift valleys, basins, and mountain ranges.
Passive Margin Tectonics: This is the gradual transition of tectonic plates from a continent to the ocean floor, without any significant earthquake or volcanic activity.
Orogenic Tectonics: This is the formation of mountain ranges, typically as a result of plate collisions and the subsequent uplift and deformation of the Earth's crust.
"The model builds on the concept of continental drift, an idea developed during the first decades of the 20th century."
"Plate tectonics came to be accepted by geoscientists after seafloor spreading was validated in the mid-to-late 1960s."
"Earth's lithosphere is broken into seven or eight major plates."
"Where the plates meet, their relative motion determines the type of plate boundary: convergent, divergent, or transform."
"Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries."
"The relative movement of the plates typically ranges from zero to 10 cm annually."
"Tectonic plates are composed of the oceanic lithosphere and the thicker continental lithosphere, each topped by its own kind of crust."
"Along convergent plate boundaries, the process of subduction, or of one plate moving under another, carries the edge of one plate down under the other plate and into the mantle."
"The lost surface is balanced by the formation of new oceanic crust along divergent margins by seafloor spreading."
"This process of plate tectonics is also referred to as the conveyor belt principle."
"Tectonic plates are able to move because Earth's lithosphere has greater mechanical strength than the underlying asthenosphere."
"Plate movement is driven by a combination of the motion of the seafloor away from spreading ridges due to variations in topography and density changes in the crust."
"At subduction zones, the relatively cold, dense oceanic crust sinks down into the mantle forming the downward convecting limb of a mantle cell. This is the strongest driver of the plates."
"The relative importance of other proposed factors such as active convection, upwelling and flow inside the mantle, and tidal drag of the moon, and their relationship to each other is still the subject of debate."