Lecture 3: Plate Tectonics Review

Key Questions
1. What is the difference between continental drift and plate tectonics?
2. Review the scientific method as applied to plate tectonics
3. What drives plate tectonics?
4. What are the types of plate boundaries?
5. What type of plate boundary defines the PNW?
Figure 2.20
Plate Tectonics
http://www.geog.unt.edu/~mcgregor/Earth_Science/plate.tectonics.pdf
Continental Drift Evidence
Sea floor research yielded, regions with high ridges, young ocean-floor
basalts (less than 200 million years old), varying sediment thicknesses
Paleomagnetic data supported
sea-floor spreading
Where’s the blue rock?
 Seismic data indicated ACTIVE plate boundaries

seismograph
Seismic data revealed the internal structure of the Earth
The internal structure of the Earth provided ideas about the
mechanism that DRIVES plate tectonics
Mantle Convection

http://homepages.see.leeds.ac.uk/~earsro/NERC_QUOTA_09/Mantle_convection.jpg
The true nature of mantle convection is still unknown

Seismic tomography has been used to image the mantle

Plate Driving Mechanisms

mantle convection
Plate Driving Mechanisms

mantle convection
Plate Driving Mechanisms

mantle convection
Table 2.1
 Divergent Boundary

Mid Atlantic Ridge

Divergent Boundary
Convergent Plate Boundaries
Table 2.1
Convergent: Ocean-Continent
Convergent: Ocean-Continent
Table 2.1
Convergent: Ocean-Ocean

Aleutian Islands
Convergent: Ocean-Ocean

Fiji Plate
Table 2.1
Convergent: Continent-Continent
Table 2.1
Transform Boundary
Hot Spot
Current Plate Structure
Plate Velocities
Global Positioning System (GPS)

The GPS consists of 24 satellites. Each satellite orbits

Earth twice a day at an altitude of about 20,000 km and
continuously transmits specific radio frequencies to
ground-based receivers.

GPS receivers measure distance using the travel time

of the radio signals.
 GPS Stations

Pacific Northwest Geodetic Array

http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/pacnw/rescasp1.html
 Sunda Plate

Northern Sumatra,
Indonesia: MG 7.7
Chile: MG 8.8
Baja California, Mexico
MG 7.2
Haiti: MG 7.0
Haiti Earthquake: Death toll is 250,000 to 300,000
Lesser Developed Countries are most vulnerable to
geologic hazards

1) High population densities

2) Inadequate housing

3) Little education about hazards

4) Lack of warning systems

5) Limited emergency response

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8455774.stm