1. Plate Boundaries and Plate Tectonics By: Mike Brady, Joe Fassel, Liz Alessi, Brittany Spalding, Josh Minnich

2. Plate Boundaries -a fracture that separates one plate from another

3. 3 different types Divergent boundary Convergent boundary Transform boundary

4. Divergent Forms when two plates move apart from each other, then the underlying asthenosphere oozes upward to fill the gap between the separating plates. Plates Involved: Ocean-Ocean  Ex) Mid-Atlantic Ridge Continent- Continent  Ex) East African Rift

5. Convergent Two lithospheric plates move toward each other, 2 plates of different densities come together and the denser one sinks beneath it. Plates Involved: Ocean-Ocean  Ex) Western Aleutians Ocean-Continent  Ex) Andes Continent-Continent  Ex) Himalayas

6. Transform This forms when two plates slide horizontally past on each other as they move in opposite directions. Plates Involved: Ocean-Ocean  Ex) East Pacific Rise Continent-Continent  Ex) San Andreas fault

7. Short Term Climate Change Climate change can occur rapidly in a few ways due to plate tectonics. Plate tectonics can cause waterways to close or mountains to form. This can cause changes in air currents and water currents, which in turn causes climate changes.

8. Long Term Climate Change Plate Tectonics can cause extreme changes in climate over a geologically long period of time. This occurs when a continent shifts far distances and therefore changes its latitude relative to the equator and the poles.

9. Sea Floor Spreading Sea floor spreading causes the global climate to change in two ways. When the sea floor spreads slowly the Mid- Ocean ridge system is relatively narrow. This displaces a relatively small amount of water, and exposes a large amount of marine limestone which, during the process of weathering decreases the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and decreases the global temperature.

10. Sea Floor Spreading Cont. When the sea floor spreads rapidly the Mid Ocean Ridge system is wider, and displaces a larger amount of water. This raises sea level and in turn cuts down the amount of exposed marine limestone. Which in turn reduces the amount of CO2 removed through weathering, and increases the global temperature.

11. Affect of More Lands and at Higher Latitudes o Alter ocean currents and therefore heat transport o Alter global atmospheric circulation o More glaciers over land, higher albedo, cooler temps

12. Sources http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/n otes/chapter18/plate_tech.htmlhttp://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/n otes/chapter18/plate_tech.html Thompson & Turk, Earth Science and the Environment,3 rd Edition.