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EARTH'S DYNAMICS. The Earth’s Crust. Four layers of the Earth: Core : the solid inner core of the Earth Outer core : liquid core rich in iron Mantle : partly solid partly molten magma Crust : thin, rigid crust of land. The Earth’s Crust. Plate Tectonics.
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The Earth’s Crust • Four layers of the Earth: • Core: the solid inner core of the Earth • Outer core: liquid core rich in iron • Mantle: partly solid partly molten magma • Crust: thin, rigid crust of land
Plate Tectonics • The Earth’s crust is divided into rigid, slow moving plates • The plates are floating on the Earth’s mantle • Plates move with the current of magma • The movement of these plates build mountains and valleys
The Theory of Plate Tectonics • The “theory of plate tectonics” was developed by a German Scientist named Alfred Wegener • He was a polar researcher, geophysicist and meteorologist. • His hypothesis was controversial and not widely accepted until the 1950s
Forces Beneath the Crust • The Current of the magma moves the Earth’s Crust • Volcano: opening in the crust of the Earth where lava flows • Movement of magma can break or bend the crust • Fold: layers of rock are folded • Fault: layers of rock break (cause of earthquakes)
Plate Boundaries / Zones • Three types of plate boundaries: • Divergent: plates moving away from each other • Convergent: plates moving towards each other • Conservative (transform): plates sliding past each other
Divergent • Mid Atlantic Ridge is an example of divergent forces or sea-floor spreading
Convergent • Subduction Zone: a tectonic plate collides with another plate forcing the lighter plate into the mantle
Conservative (Transform) Faults slip past each other causing earthquakes
Continental Drift • 200 million years ago, the continents were locked together in a single land mass called Pangea • Pangea broke into two supercontinents named Laurasia and Gondwanaland
Erosion • Erosion is the wearing away of land • Rock weathering: the process that breaks up rock (sediment is small particles of rock) • Water: most powerful force of erosion (V-canyons and U-canyons)
Erosion Continued.. • Wind: transports light sediment • Glaciers: • sheet glaciers: ice sheets that cover large areas pressing outwards • Mountain glaciers: small ice sheets covering mountains flowing downhill