Introduction
Plate Tectonics is the scientific theory of how the Earth's surface is broken up into different parts and how they move and interact. The theory outlines that the crust is broken up into seven main plates: the Eurasian Plate, the Indo-Australian Plate, the Antarctic Plate, the North American Plate, South American Plate, the Pacific Plate, and the African Plate. Plate Tectonics is the scientific theory of how the Earth's surface is broken up into different parts and how they move and interact. The theory outlines that the crust is broken up into seven main plates: the Eurasian Plate, the Indo-Australian Plate, the Antarctic Plate, the North American Plate, South American Plate, the Pacific Plate, and the African Plate.
There are two different types of plates, the oceanic plates and the continental plates. Oceanic plates are thinner and heavier than continental plates due to a higher density from the materials that it is made up of. They are constantly destroyed and reformed. Continental plates in comparison are lighter and thicker. They are permanent and do not become destroyed.
Plate boundaries are the area in which two plates meet. These places usually have high occurences in volcanic and earthquake activity, because there the crust is split and the plates constantly move and settle in their new locations, shaking the ground above or creating gaps where new pieces of plate is made. The movement causes tremors that cause earthquakes, and the gaps in the crust have magma rising out of them to create volcanoes and eruptions.
They move due to the movement of magma in the mantle as it is created and rises below the plates. Plates can move in different directions relative to each other, this movement causes earthquakes and volcanic activity. The different types of plate movement are as follows: constructive margins, destructive margins, collision margins, and conservative margins.
Constructive margins occur when two plates move away from each other: magma from the mantle rises up to fill the gaps and creates new land. An example of this would be the Eurasian Plate moving away from the North American Plate to create the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Destructive margins occurs when an oceanic plate, such as the Nazca Plate subducts or moves underneath a continental crust, like the South American plate. The oceanic crust sinks because it is more dense than the continental crust. As the oceanic plate moves underneath the continental crust, the heat from the mantle destroys the crust and it becomes magma. The magma is lighter than the mantle, so it rises up to the Earth's surface and makes volcanos. If the magma rises in the water then an island arc is formed, such as Japan.
Collision margins are where two continental crust collide with each other. Land is neither created nor destroyed, they instead push against each other and push the land upwards to be crumpled into fold mountains. The Indian plate moving against the Eurasian plate to form the Himalayas is an example of a collision margin.
Conservative margins are when two plates move laterally against each other, either in different directions or in the same direction but going at different speeds. There is no land that is destroyed nor created in this margin, so generally earthquakes occur at this margin. As the plates move past each other, they sometimes become stuck, gathering large amounts of pressure before quickly jerking past each other, releasing strong earthquakes. The San Andreas Fault is one of the more well known conservative margins, where the North American and Pacific plates are moving in the same direction but at a different speed.
There are two different types of plates, the oceanic plates and the continental plates. Oceanic plates are thinner and heavier than continental plates due to a higher density from the materials that it is made up of. They are constantly destroyed and reformed. Continental plates in comparison are lighter and thicker. They are permanent and do not become destroyed.
Plate boundaries are the area in which two plates meet. These places usually have high occurences in volcanic and earthquake activity, because there the crust is split and the plates constantly move and settle in their new locations, shaking the ground above or creating gaps where new pieces of plate is made. The movement causes tremors that cause earthquakes, and the gaps in the crust have magma rising out of them to create volcanoes and eruptions.
They move due to the movement of magma in the mantle as it is created and rises below the plates. Plates can move in different directions relative to each other, this movement causes earthquakes and volcanic activity. The different types of plate movement are as follows: constructive margins, destructive margins, collision margins, and conservative margins.
Constructive margins occur when two plates move away from each other: magma from the mantle rises up to fill the gaps and creates new land. An example of this would be the Eurasian Plate moving away from the North American Plate to create the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Destructive margins occurs when an oceanic plate, such as the Nazca Plate subducts or moves underneath a continental crust, like the South American plate. The oceanic crust sinks because it is more dense than the continental crust. As the oceanic plate moves underneath the continental crust, the heat from the mantle destroys the crust and it becomes magma. The magma is lighter than the mantle, so it rises up to the Earth's surface and makes volcanos. If the magma rises in the water then an island arc is formed, such as Japan.
Collision margins are where two continental crust collide with each other. Land is neither created nor destroyed, they instead push against each other and push the land upwards to be crumpled into fold mountains. The Indian plate moving against the Eurasian plate to form the Himalayas is an example of a collision margin.
Conservative margins are when two plates move laterally against each other, either in different directions or in the same direction but going at different speeds. There is no land that is destroyed nor created in this margin, so generally earthquakes occur at this margin. As the plates move past each other, they sometimes become stuck, gathering large amounts of pressure before quickly jerking past each other, releasing strong earthquakes. The San Andreas Fault is one of the more well known conservative margins, where the North American and Pacific plates are moving in the same direction but at a different speed.