EARTH, LIFE AND SCIENCE

Global Plate
Tectonics
PRESENTED BY: AIYANAH JAZMEIR SURUIZ
AND KAIZATHERINE JOY RAMOS
 Plate Tectonics
is a scientific theory that
explains how major
landforms are created as a
result of Earth's subterranean
movements. The theory,
which solidified in the 1960s,
transformed the earth
sciences by explaining many
phenomena, including
mountain building events,
volcanoes, and earthquakes.
 What are the plate tectonics in
the world?
There are major, minor and micro tectonic plates.
There are seven major plates: African, Antarctic,
Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, Pacific and
South American. The Hawaiian Islands were created by
the Pacific Plate, which is the world's largest plate at
39,768,522 square miles.
What are the 4 types of
Plate Tectonics?
• Divergent: extensional; the plates move apart.
Spreading ridges, basin-range.
• Convergent: compressional; plates move toward
each other. Includes: Subduction zones and
mountain building.
• Transform: shearing; plates slide past each
other. Strike-slip motion.
 When did the global plate
tectonics theory form?
Developed from the 1950s to the 1970s, the theory of plate
tectonics is the modern update to continental drift (opens in
new tab), an idea first proposed by scientist Alfred Wegener
in 1912 which stated that Earth's continents had "drifted"
across the planet over time.
How do plate tectonics
affect life on Earth?
The movement of the plates
also causes volcanoes and
mountains to form and these
can also contribute to a change
in climate. Large mountain
chains can influence the
circulation of air around the
globe, and consequently
influence the climate. For
example, warm air may be
deflected to cooler regions by
mountains
How do plate tectonics
affect life on humans?
Tectonic processes cause the
movement of land and
earthquakes. This heat drives
plate tectonics and parts of the
rock cycle. Where humans can
live can be affected by volcanic
events, sea level rise, and
earthquakes, all of which are
related to tectonic processes.
WHAT HAPPENS IF TECTONIC PLATES
STOPPED MOVING?
If all plate motion stopped, Earth would be a very different
place. The agent responsible for most mountains as well as
volcanoes is plate tectonics, so much of the activity that pushes
up new mountain ranges and creates new land from volcanic
explosions would be no more.
What are the five effects of
plate tectonics?
Crustal Tectonic Plates and their movement.
Their movement and effects at plate boundaries are
explained e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain
building, ocean ridges/trenches, subduction (part of
the rock cycle).