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VOLCANO AND ITS RELATION TO PLATE TECTONICS
DISTRIBUTION OF VOLCANOES
 Plate Tectonics theory states that the Earth’s outer layer is broken
into slowly moving pieces
 When the tectonic plates move apart (diverge), magma will ooze
out from the cracks and fissures of the crust that are moving apart
forming vents. These will then lead to formation of new land
masses, volcanoes and volcanic activities.
 On the other hand, when the plates move towards each other
(converge), upon collision, the plate that sinks (subducts) will melt
in the mantle. And where there is melting of the plates, formation
of volcanoes occurs.
 When plates converge, one of the plates sinks to the mantle. As a
result, trenches are formed. Parallel to the trench is an array of
volcanoes formed from the melted plate (magma) that escaped
from the mantle.
 In divergent boundaries, when the plates move apart, magma
rises, solidifies and forms new land masses.
 Volcanoes are located where magma reaches the surface. It is
formed near where plates collide and in the ocean.
 Pacific ring of fire consists of many active volcanoes and site for
frequent earthquakes.
 Geologic belts refer to the region of Earth where volcanoes,
mountain ranges, and earthquake epicenters are found
EARTHQUAKE AND TYPE OF WAVES
 Earthquake refers to the shaking and trembling of the Earth’s crust
caused by a sudden release of energy
 The violent shaking and destruction caused by earthquakes are the
result of the rupture and slippage along fractures of Earth’s crust
called faults.
 Earthquake occurs when rocks along a certain fault line suddenly
move.
VOLCANOES AND MOUNTAINS
 Mountain is a landform that stretches above the surface of the Earth
that can be steep like a peak or probably not so steep.
 Volcanoes can be similar to mountains but volcanoes have certain
pressure inside a magma chamber
MOUNTAIN RANGES
 A mountain range or a hill range is a series of mountains or hills
arranged in a line and is connected by high ground.
 It is formed by a variety of geological processes, but most of the
significant changes on the Earth are the results of plate tectonic
activities.
PLATE BOUNDARIES
 Plate boundaries is the site where most geologic processes/events
commonly occur
 The three types of plate boundaries are:
o Convergent plate boundary
o Divergent plate boundary
o Transform plate boundary
CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY
 Convergent Plate boundary occur where two plates move together
causing one plate to move under the other plate.
 Subduction- the process where one tectonic plate slides below the
other tectonic plate
 The three types of convergent plate boundaries:
o Oceanic-continental convergence-oceanic crust converges
with the continental crust. A process of subduction occurs
here, which formed large volcanoes
o Oceanic-oceanic convergence- one plate move under the
other that combines with mantle and water which leads to
the formation of magma. This type of convergence is
responsible for the formation of Philippine Archipelago.
o Continental-continental convergence- collision of two plates
occur leading to formation of mountains.
 Convergent boundary could result to the formation of trenches,
volcanoes, and mountain ranges.
 When plates converge one of the plates sinks to the mantle
 Converging of plates results to formation of trenches
 Volcanoes are formed along trench from melted plate
DIVERGENT BOUNDARY
 Divergent boundary- the two plates move apart from each other. It
occurs along spreading centers where plates are moving apart and
new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle.
 Earthquakes are common and magma (molten rocks) rises from the
Earth’s mantle to the surface, solidifying to create new oceanic
crust.
 The two types of divergent plate boundaries:
o Oceanic-oceanic divergence- occur where two
oceanic plates move away from one another. This is
where seafloor spreading takes place the most
common example is the mid-ocean ridge.
o Continental-continental divergence- when two
continental plates converge, the breaking of the crust
into several fragments leads to the formation of down
faulted valleys or rift valleys.
TRANSFORM PLATE BOUNDARY
 Transform Plate boundary- two plates are sliding past each other.
 Natural or man-made structures that cross a transform boundary,
split into pieces and carried opposite directions.
 A well-known example of transform plate boundary is the Sand
Andreas fault in California.
CAUSES OF PLATE MOVEMENTS
 Plates at our planet’s surface move because of the intense heat in
the Earth’s core that causes molten rock in the mantle layer to
move. It moves in a pattern called a convection current that from
when warm material rises, cools, and eventually sinks down. As the
cooled material sinks down, it is warmed and then it rises again.
 The unequal distributions of heat within the Earth is the driving force
for the movement of lithospheric plates.
 The inside of the Earth is filled unimaginable force and energy.
Several forces within it are key factors for plate movements.
 Of many forces that it holds, thermal convection causes most of the
movements of the plates.
 Another force causing further movements is ridge push (also known
as gravitational sliding) or sliding plate ocean.
 Lastly, slab pull is a driving factor, too. It is that part of the motion of
a tectonic plate caused by its subduction.
EVIDENCE OF PLATE MOVEMENTS
 ALFRED WEGENER
o a German polar researcher, geophysicist, and meteorologist.
o He introduced the Continental Drift Theory
o He stated that about 200 million years ago, the continents were
once a large landmass of land. He called this landmass
“PANGEA” a Greek word which means “All Earth”
 PANGEA
o a Greek word which means “All Earth”
o started to break into smaller supercontinents called LAURASIA
and GONDWALAND during the Jurassic Period
o The Pangea split because of the movement of convection
currents that rolled over on the upper zone of the mantle
o Wegener searched for evidences to support his claim. He
noticed the fit edges of the continents on the opposite sides of
the South Atlantic. His evidences to the Continental Drift Theory
include the distribution of fossils in different countries, rock
features, and ancient climate.
 Cartographer-a person who makes map.
 Three pieces of evidence that support the theory of plate
tectonics;
o The shapes of continents fit together similar to a puzzle
o The coastlines show where the continents separated
o The identical rocks that formed over hundred million years
ago have been located in different countries.
 Despite Wegener's gathered evidence supporting his idea about
drifting continents, during his time the scientific community rejected
him because he couldn’t provide a mechanism for the movement of
the continents.