Catapang, Cathlene Jane C.
Gr 10-St. Faustina Kowalska
Tectonic Plate Theory
Plate Tectonic Theory
According to the scientific
theory of plate tectonics,
the Earth's lithosphere is
made up of several sizable
tectonic plates that have
been gradually moving
since about 3.4 billion years
ago. The model is based on
the idea of continental
drift, which was developed
in the early 20th century.
Continental Drift Theory
The scientist Alfred
Wegener is most closely
associated with the concept
of continental drift.
Wegener wrote a paper
outlining his theory that the
Sea Floor Spreading
continents were "drifting"
At divergent plate
across the Earth,
boundaries, seafloor
occasionally crashing
spreading takes place. The
through oceans and into one
mantle's convection currents
another, in the early 20th generate heat that makes the
century. crust more plastic and less
dense as tectonic plates
slowly drift apart from one
another. Less dense material
rises, frequently creating
mountains or elevated
seafloor regions. The crust
eventually fractures.
According to the
scientific theory of plate
tectonics, the Earth's
lithosphere is made up of
several sizable tectonic
plates that have been
gradually moving since
about 3.4 billion years
ago. The model is based
on the idea of continental
drift, which was
Continents and Oceans', which
developed in the early
20th century.
Earth could move continents, but
Each mid-ocean ridge
exhibits a different pattern of
seafloor spreading. Tall,
slender underwater cliffs
and mountains are found on
slowly extending ridges.
Rapidly dispersing ridges
Albert Wegener have significantly softer
slopes. For instance, the Mid-
Wegener was a German
meteorologist, geophysicist, and Atlantic Ridge is a slowly
polar researcher. In 1915 he spreading center. It creates
published 'The Origin of an ocean trench about the
size of the Grand Canyon
outlined his theory of and spreads 2-5 centimeters
Continental Drift. Wegener's
(.8-2 inches) annually.
theory was largely rejected
because he offered no
explanation for how the
continents might move. He
believed that the spin of the
geologists know that rocks are
too strong for this to be true.