FOURTH QUARTER

SCIENCE 10
MODULE 2: PLATE TECTONICS
OUTLINE III. EARTH
I. Lithosphere • Our planet appears to be solid, steady, and unchanging.
II. Plate Tectonics
The truth is, it has underwent a lot of changes and is
III. Earth
IV. Continental Drift Theory constantly changing in both of its internal and external
V. Alfred L. Wegener attributes.
VI. Seafloor Spreading Theory
VII. Harry H. Hess IV. CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY
• This theory states that all continents before were
compressed in a single large landmass, supercontinent
I. LITHOSPHERE known as “Pangaea”, and that it eventually broke into
• Lithosphere is divided into pieces like jigsaw puzzle smaller supercontinents.
called tectonic plates (lithospheric plates).

II. PLATE TECTONICS

• This refers to a scientific theory which states that the
earth’s solid or rigid crust is separated into plates that
move over the asthenosphere.

A. DIFFERENCE
• Tectonic plates are the parts or structure.
• Plate tectonics is a theory/process/movement.

B. PLATES A. PANGAEA
• Pangaea is also called as the all earth.
• At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs, the continents
were arranged together as a single supercontinent.
• Panthalassa was the super ocean that surrounded the
supercontinent Pangaea.
◦ It is also called as the all water/all sea/all ocean.

MAJOR PLATES
• African
• Antarctic
• Eurasian
• North American
• South American
• India-Australian B. TWO SUPERCONTINENTS
• Pacific Plates • When Pangaea broke up, the northern continents of
North America and Eurasia became separated from the
MINOR PLATES southern continents of Antarctica, India, South America,
• Arabian Plate Australia and Africa.
• Caribbean Plate • The large northern continent is called Laurasia and the
• Cocos Plate southern continent is called Gondwanaland.
• Nazca Plate • The two supercontinents further split into large
• Philippine Plate landmasses which is called continents.
• Scotia Plate

BOGNOT, P. N. 1
 MODULE 2: PLATE TECTONICS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• Seafloor spreading and other tectonic activity
processes are the result of mantle convection.
◦ Mantle convection is the slow, churning motion of
Earth's mantle.
◦ Convection currents carry heat from the lower
mantle and core to the lithosphere.
◦ Convection currents also recycle lithospheric
materials back to the mantle.

VII. HARRY H. HESS

V. ALFRED L. WEGENER

• He is an American geoscientist who confirmed

Wegener’s ideas by using the evidence of seafloor
spreading to explain what/why continents moved.
• He is a German climatologist, geologist, geophysicist, • In 1960s, he proposed the revolutionary theory called
meteorologist, and polar researcher. Seafloor Spreading Theory.
• In 1912, he proposed the revolutionary theory called
Continental Drift Theory.
• The Continental Drift Theory was initially rejected by Handout & Discussion: Sir Jezrel Given Cortez
Goodluck!<3
scientists because Wegener failed to explain the driving
forces or mechanism behind the drifting of the
continents.

VI. SEAFLOOR SPREADING THEORY

• This theory states that the seafloors or ocean floors, not
the continents, move and only carry the latter.

BOGNOT, P. N. 2