Tectonic Activity

Plates
– Tectonic Plates
– Convection Currents
– Destructive Plate Boundaries
– Constructive Plate Boundaries
– Conservative Plate Boundaries
– Summary
Tectonic Plates

Tectonic plates are sections of the Earth’s solid crust that

“float” on top of the mantle. The mantle contains hot.
molten rock (magma) heated by energy from the earth's
core
 
The earth’s crust is made up of seven main tectonic plates
and many smaller plates.
There are two main types of tectonic plate:
 Oceanic plates are relatively thin (about 6-10 km) and contain very heavy
(dense) rocks such as basalt.
 Continental plates are considerably thicker (35-40 km) but contain lighter (less
dense) rocks such as granite.
 
The plates fit together like pieces of a large jigsaw. Tectonic plates meet along
four main types of plate boundaries.
The tectonic plates are in constant motion travelling at a few centimetres per year.
 
The ocean floors are continually moving, spreading from the centre and sinking at the edges.
 
Where plates meet, huge forces build up causing earthquakes and volcanoes and the

formation of fold mountains and deep-sea trenches.

Convection Currents
 
Hot currents of molten rock called convection currents move slowly within the earth's
mantle which moves the tectonic plates above them in different directions.
.
The source of heat driving the convection currents is radioactive decay which is happening
deep in the Earth. Convection occurs because the density of a fluid is related to its
temperature. Hot rocks lower in the mantle are less dense than their cooler counterparts
above. The hot rock rises and the cooler rock sinks due to gravity.
Destructive Plate Boundaries 1 – (aka Convergent or
Compressional)
 
a) Oceanic plate colliding with a Continental plate
 
When an oceanic plate and a continental plate move towards each
other the denser oceanic plate dives under the lighter
continental one creating a deep ocean trench.

As the oceanic plate goes deeper into the mantle, increased temperature and friction cause it to
melt creating a subduction zone.
 
Newly molten rock is lighter than the surrounding rock so it rises through the crust towards the
surface.
 
If molten rock (magma) reaches the earth’s surface, it may spread out along a fault line or it
may erupt at a single point as a volcano.
 
An example of an oceanic plate colliding with a continental plate is where the Pacific Plate is
moving towards the South American Plate at a rate of 9 cms per year.
Destructive Plate Boundaries 2 – (aka Convergent or Compressional)
 
b) Continental plate colliding with a continental plate
 
When continental plates collide, they crumple and create fold mountains
 

Where two continental crusts collide neither can sink

 
Instead they push into each other forcing material to be folded up into huge mountain ranges
 
Often this movement and pressure can cause earthquakes, but no volcanoes occur on these
boundaries
 
Example: Himalayas created where the Indian Plate meets the Eurasian Plate.
Destructive Plate Boundaries 3 – (aka Convergent or Compressional)
 
c) Oceanic plate colliding with oceanic plate
 
When two oceanic plate meet each other (oceanic-oceanic) this often results in the formation of an
island arc system. As the subducting oceanic crust melts, as it goes deeper into the Earth, the
newly-created magma rises to the surface and forms volcanoes. If the activity continues, the
volcano may grow tall enough to break the surface of the ocean creating an island.
 

Examples of an island arc are the West Indies and Japan

Constructive Plate Boundaries – (aka Divergent or Tensional)
 
When two plates move away from each other, they create a gap between them. Molten rock
(magma) rises from the mantle to fill the gap forming a mid-ocean ridge
 
Constructive plate boundaries cause mid-ocean ridges, volcanoes and earthquakes, though
they are often less violent than those on destructive plate boundaries.
  
Volcanoes can form along the edges of the plate boundary due to the rising magma. These
volcanoes are called shield volcanoes.

Example: the North American plate moving away from the Eurasian plate formed the Mid-
Atlantic Ridge and created Iceland through volcanic activity.
 
Plate Boundaries – Conservative (aka Passive) plates
 
When two tectonic plates slide past each other without creating or destroying any land they
form a conservative plate boundary.
 
The plates often get stuck as they try to move past each other due to friction. Over time this
builds up great pressure until finally they jolt past each other. The sudden movement
causes an earthquake which may be violent and cause great damage.

Example: the San Andreas Fault where the N. American Plate meets the Pacific Plate
Summary

• Plates are sections of the Earth’s crust that float on top of the mantle
• There are two types of plate - Oceanic & Continental
• Convection currents cause the plates to move
• Oceanic colliding with a Continental (destructive) = deep open trench, possible volcanic
eruptions
• Continental colliding with a Continental (destructive) = fold mountains formed
• Oceanic colliding with an Oceanic (destructive) = Island Arc system formed
• Plates moving apart (constructive plate boundaries) = mid-ocean ridges, volcanoes and
earthquakes can result
• Plates sliding past each other (conservative plate boundaries) = no landforms but they
can cause damaging earthquakes