Transcript PLATE TECTONICS

Alfred Wegener:
•Noticed similarities in the
shoreline of continent on both
sides of the Atlantic Ocean, he
then began fitting them together.
•Introduced the hypothesis of
continental drift.
•Suggested a supercontinent,
called Pangaea (meaning "all
land"), that broke up millions of
years ago, slowly moved to their
current positions, and continue to
move today.
•DIVERGENT- When two plates move away from each other.
Characteristics:
Mid – ocean ridges (underwater mountain ranges)
Rift Valleys (narrow valleys that form where plates separate),
Newest rock material (cooling magma forms new oceanic crust).
CONVERGENT
•CONVERGENT – When two plates collide.
Characteristics: Mountains, most earthquakes, Volcanoes, and
trenches
1.ocean – ocean 2.ocean – continent 3.continent – continent
•TRANSFORM – When two plates are moving past each other.
Characteristics: San Andreas Boundary
The Pacific plate and North American
plate grind past each other side by
side.
AREA WITHIN A PLATE WHERE MAGMA
WORKS ITSELF TO THE SURFACE ARE
CALLED HOT SPOTS.
HOT SPOTS ARE STATIONARY SO WHEN THE
PLATE ABOVE IT MOVES A NEW VOLCANOE
FORMS.