Rocks and Weathering

3.1 Plate Tectonics

 Continental crust
Lithosphere
Oceanic crust
Moho Asthenosphere
Mantle
Mantle
 CONTINENTAL OCEANIC CRUST
THICKNESS On average 33 km Varies between 5-
Up to 70 km under the 10km
major mountains

COMPOSITION Thin veneer of Mafic rock types -

sediments on top of essentially
GRANITE BASALT
(High % of silica) (Low % of silica)

MINERALS Quartz Augite

Orthoclase Feldspar Plagioclase Feldspar
(pink/orange) +/- olivine
Plagioclase Feldspar
(white/grey)
Biotite Mica (black)
Muscovite Mica
(silver)

STATE Solid Solid

AGE 4.1 billion 200 million

DENSITY 2.7 g/cm3 `low` 2.9 g/cm3 `high`

OVERLIES OC Upper mantle

 Continental Drift -
the evidence behind the
theory
 Sea Floor Spreading
• 1960s Harry Hess – developed the idea that
continents moved apart due to the growth of
oceanic crust between them. OC is created
from the mantle at the crest of the MOR.
 Sea floor Spreading (2)
• Vine and Matthews confirmed idea by Hess.
• Magnetic anomalies symmetrical to MOR
• Basalt lavas cool and become magnetised.
• Fe and Curie point.
• Rising mantle material fills gap left by separating
plates – decompresses and partially melts
• Spreading rates not the same (10mm per year over
Mid Atlantic Ridge/ 60mm over EPR)
• Transform faults
Vine and Matthews – research yourself