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PLATE TECTONICS. WHY?. Alfred Wegener: Noticed the 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.
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WHY? • Alfred Wegener: • Noticed the 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.
CONVECTION CURRENTS:-Hot magma from the mantle rises, cools, + sinks.-Mantle moves + drags plates along with it.
DIVERGENT • 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 • 1.ocean – ocean 2.ocean – continent 3.continent – continent
OCEAN – OCEAN CONVERGENT BOUNDARY:Subduction Zone Mantle rock melts + magma rises to the surface, creating islands.
OCEAN – CONTINENT CONVERGENT BOUNDARY: Subduction ZoneOceanic Crust is more dense + sinks under Continental Crust
CONTINENT – CONTINENT CONVERGENT BOUNDARY: Plates collide + the edges crumple, causing uplift = mountains
TRANSFORM BOUNDARY • TRANSFORM – When two plates are moving past each other. • Characteristics: San Andreas Boundary
Ex: SAN ANDREAS BOUNDARY The Pacific plate and North American plate grind past each other side by side.
HOT SPOTS 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.