Plate tectonics is the unifying theory of the earth how did the theory develop. In part 1, students view flash interactives and quicktime videos which delineate the relationship between volcanoes, earthquakes and plate boundaries and discuss the ancient continent of pangaea. Ebook when did plate tectonics begin on planet earth as. You will recall from a previous chapter that there are three. He put together the evidence of ancient glaciations and the. Some of the most important evidence came from the study of paleomagnetism, or changes in earths magnetic field over millions of years. Pdf plate tectonics describes the horizontal motion of rigid lithospheric plates. Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries which subsequently create midocean ridges. Finally, some of the geologic evidence of plate tectonic processes are presented and discussed. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. Theory of continental drift proposed by alfred wegener in 1912, but not widely accepted until seafloor spreading was discovered in 1960. Some life rode on diverging plates, became isolated, and evolved into new species. Work in pairs sharing one computer with internet access.
A plate can comprise both oceanic and continental lithosphere. Evidence for plate tectonics the evidence for plate tectonics is very conclusive. Pdf critical analysis of the plate tectonics model and causes of. The theory of continental drift wegener 1880 1930 alfred wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift.
Later science supported theories proposed by english. Tectonic plate boundaries as scientists understanding of midocean ridges and magnetic reversals grew, a theory was formed to explain how tectonic plates move. New oceanic crust is formed through magma rising through the gap and cooling. The theory of plate tectonics activityworksheet 1 the theory of plate tectonics worksheet objective. They move atop the underlying mantle, a really thick layer of hot flowing rock. Evidence for continental drift was embraced by some scientists but was rejected. The mode and rates of tectonic processes and lithospheric growth during the archean 4. Plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the. It is made up of thick, interconnecting pieces called tectonic plates that fit together like a puzzle. Evidence that led to the development of plate tectonic theory in the 1960s came primarily from new data from the sea floor, including topography and the magnetism of rocks. Origins of plate tectonic theory earth science visionlearning. As plates move, the new crust gradually moves away from the ridge.
A plate tectonic puzzle introduction the earths crust is not a solid shell. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics. The theory has caused a revolution in the way we think about the earth. The idea that the earths crust is made up of huge tectonic plates that are floating on an ocean of molten hot magma seemed too. Seafloor spreading was proposed as a mechanism to drive the movement of the continents on the basis of symmetrical patterns of reversed and normal magnetic rocks on the sea. The theory of plate tectonics chapter 14 lesson 3 p510519 a free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. There are three main pieces of evidence that support plate tectonic theory the first is the age of the earths crust showing that new rock has been formed and it still likely to be forming. All this evidence, both from the ocean floor and from the continental margins, made it clear around 1965 that continental drift was feasible and the theory of plate tectonics, which was defined in a series of papers between 1965 and 1967, was born, with all its extraordinary explanatory and predictive power. The motion in the mantle the asthenosphere is caused by convection currents. Still others recognize evidence for plate tectonics as early as 3. Chapter 1 plate tectonics power point linkedin slideshare. Third, the evidence and understanding of earth that would have supported plate tectonic theory simply didnt exist until the middle of the 20th century. List and describe the evidence for the plate tectonics theory.
Along spreading centers in the sea floor, melted rock rises through cracks, cools, and forms new crust that builds up midocean ridges. In the early 1960s, the emergence of the theoryof plate tectonicsstarted a revolution in the earth sciences. Students will research the evidence collected to support the theory of plate tectonics as we know it. The theory provides a working model for analyses of phenomena that scientists observe. The surface of the earth is divided into a number of rigid plates that extend from the surface to the base of the lithosphere. Principally it refers to the movement and interaction of the earths lithosphere. Evidence from fossils, glaciers, and complementary coastlines helps reveal how the plates once fit together. Pdf secular metamorphic change and the onset of plate. Plate tectonics conclusion plate tectonics is the grand, unifying theory of earth sciences, combining the concepts of continental drift and seafloor spreading into one holistic theory that explains many of the major structural features of the earths surface. Who proposed the theory and what evidence did he provide to prove his theory. Together, these plates constitute the lithosphere, from the greek lithos, meaning rock. What is some evidence for the plate tectonics theory. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains.
This includes the formation, movement, collision and destruction of plates and the resulting geological events such as seismicity, volcanism, continental drift, and. Although alfred wegener would not live to see it, his theory of plate tectonics would gradually gain acceptance within the scientific community as more evidence began to accumulate. Plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated. Theory of plate tectonics the theory that pieces of earths lithosphere are in constant motion on the asthenosphere. First, the age of the crust is youngest at the plate boundaries where older rock is pushed up and the. The continental drift theory is the theory that once. Plate tectonics theory that explains how large pieces of the earths outermost layer, called tectonic plates, move and change shape. The second discovery was the magnetic variances in the basaltic rock found on the ocean floor along the midatlantic ridge, the phenomenon is now known as. Evidence for continental drift was embraced by some scientists but was rejected by. We now know that, directly or indirectly, plate tectonics influences nearly. Chapter 10 plate tectonics physical geology 2nd edition. The theory of plate tectonics worksheet teachengineering.
As ideas concerning plate tectonics have evolved since the 1970s, it has become apparent that while the theory can be applied rigorously to the oceans, the same cannot be said of the continents. Plate tectonics theory is taught in science classrooms around the world, but just 50 years ago it was a hotly contested theory. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the earth move and deform. Alfred wegener and continental drift it was not until 1912 that the idea of moving continents was seriously considered as a fullblown scientific theory called continental drift introduced in two articles published by a 32yearold german meteorologist named alfred lothar wegener alfred lothar wegener 18801930 earned a.
We report a paleomagnetic pole for the 3180 million year ma old honeyeater basalt of the east pilbara craton, western australia, supported by a. Central to the theory of plate tectonics is the concept of. In 1967, mckenzie and parker suggested the theory of plate tectonics. Dec 17, 2019 plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated. Scientists believe in the plate tectonics theory because of the following pieces of evidence. This significant discrepancy is taken as evidence that the continental. In essence, platetectonic theory is elegantly simple. This volume was an early classic during the controversial years before the general acceptance of plate tectonic theory began its. The earth is the only planet known to currently have plate tectonics. Sep 17, 2009 the theory of plate tectonics explains how plates and their continents move. Plate tectonics the original conjectures concerning plate tectonics were based on circumstantial evidence like the shapes of continents being such that they would fit well if pushed together. Geological evidence for the operation of plate tectonics throughout. The project requires that they find 15 distinct bodies of evidence for plate tectonics and find the scientists who are credited for each. Continental drift and plate tectonics university of iceland.
Earths surface layer, 50 to 100 km 30 to 60 miles thick, is rigid and is composed of a set of large and small plates. Most of the plates are composed of continental and oceanic lithosphere. The theory of plate tectonics links earths internal processes to the distribution of continents and oceans. Today, we have a much broader set of evidence in favor of the hypothesis. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. Paleomagnetic evidence for modernlike plate motion. Tectonic theories attempt to explain why mountains, earthquakes.
Plate tectonics theory, formerly known as the theory of continental drift, is well supported in geology, geography and biology. Plate tectonics is a unifying model that attempts to explain the origin of patterns of. Because of the strength and rigidity of oceanic plates, deformation is focused into narrow linear zones along plate margins. Fossils tell us when and where plants and animals once existed. Evidence favors a source for the materials composing the crust from within the earth. Wegeners theory and sea floor maps were used to develop the theory of plate tectonics. Paleomagnetism may contribute to the discussion by quantifying past plate velocities. One of the biggest questions in geosciences today is when did plate tectonics begin on earth with a wide range of theories based on. The theory of plate tectonics plate tectonics for 6th grade designed by sonia mojica introduction can you believe that 200 million years the continents were squished. Since the development of the theory, geologists have had to reexamine almost every aspect of.
It is a very well supported theory, and while scientific debate continues about small parts or local effects, the overall concept is accepted as good as fact. But without detailed evidence and a force sufficient to drive the movement, the theory was. Plate tectonic theory arose out of the hypothesis of continental drift. He put together the evidence of ancient glaciations and the distribution of fossil to formulate a theory that the continents have moved over the. Plate tectonics reveals that the lithosphere is divided into eight major pieces plates with several smaller plates fig. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the earths lithosphere is broken into distinct plates which are. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Plate tectonics evidence of plate movement if youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. In plate tectonics, students are introduced to the theory behind this geophysical phenomenon and investigate the evidence that supports it. Initiation and evolution of plate tectonics on earth. The theory of plate tectonics grew out of earlier hypotheses and observations collected during exploration of the rocks of the ocean floor.
Powerpoint click to download the ms powerpoint file 146 mbytes pdf click to view or download the presentation in pdf 5 mbytes ht ml cl ick to view the presentation in html format. Ebook criticism on the plate tectonics theory as pdf. Landforms and plate tectonics study guide 2020 plate tectonics a quick overview of plate tectonics, including a look at the different types of plate boundaries. Gather evidence to explain the theory of plate tectonics. The two parts of the fence show the offset on the fault caused by the m7. Ppt the theory of plate tectonics powerpoint presentation. The theory of plate tectonics grew out of earlier hypotheses and observations. Nov 29, 2012 a brief introduction to alfred wegeners theory of continental drift, which would lay the groundwork for the development of plate tectonic theory, which essentially explains the geology of the. The parental theory of plate tectonics, seafloor spreading, states that new lithosphere is. This distribution of fossils led to theories that the southern continents were once joined in a supercontinent called gondwana. It has the power to explain many phenomena, such as volcanoes and earthquakes. Completed timelines can be done in any format ranging fro.
Ppt the theory of plate tectonics plate tectonics for 6th. Plate tectonics is the theory that explains the global distribution of geological phenomena. Plate tectonics theory lesson a middle school lesson on plate tectonics theory for grades 68. Pdf geological evidence for the operation of plate tectonics.
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