Theories about

Plate Tectonics
Tectonic Plates Theories

Introduction
Plate tectonics has changed the way we look at huge features on
the Earth's surface. Previously, it was considered that Earth's
interior processes operated in a vertical fashion, with continents,
oceans, and mountain ranges bobbing up and down with little
sideways movement. All of that changed with the recognition of
continental drift and other evidence for massive lateral motions.
It's now known that Earth's interior processes can move massive
slabs of the Earth's outer shell significant distances horizontally.
Plate tectonics thus gives geology's "big picture."

Continental Drift and the

Development of Plate Tectonic Theory
People have noticed how Africa and South America fit together like parts
of a big jigsaw puzzle since the first maps of the Atlantic Ocean were
drawn in the 16th century. When the continents are linked along the
borders of their continental shelves, the fit is considerably better. The
resulting landmass, known as Pangea, represents a moment in time,
roughly 250 million years ago, when the continental crust was united
together for the first time. The continents were separated prior to that
period; after then, they have drifted apart (picture bumper cars trapped
together for a while, then flying apart!).

Observations that led to the Development

of Plate Tectonic Theory
Two scientific advances in the mid-20th Century resulted
in information critical to the acceptance of continental
drift and plate tectonic theory. First, the topography of the
ocean floor was mapped in great detail during and after
World War II. It was discovered that the floors of the
ocean basins are not flat. A continuous mountain chain
circumscribes the globe near the centers of oceans and, in
places, the ocean floor descends abruptly into deep-sea
trenches.

Evidence for Tectonic Plates

The continents are blocks of thick crust that are
passengers on the tops of large tectonic plates
(lithosphere) that move over a softer part of Earth’s
mantle (asthenosphere). Earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity occur mostly at the
boundaries of the moving plates. Only shallow
earthquakes occur where plates diverge at mid-ocean
ridges, whereas earthquakes extend to a great depth
where plates converge at subduction zones.

Divergent Plate Boundaries

Plates move apart at mid-ocean ridges where new
seafloor forms. Between the two plates is a rift valley.
Lava flows at the surface cool rapidly to become
basalt, but deeper in the crust, the magma cools more
slowly to form gabbro. So the entire ridge system is
made up of igneous rock that is either extrusive or
intrusive. Earthquakes are common at mid-ocean
ridges since the movement of magma and oceanic
crust results in crustal shaking.