1. Plate Tectonics

3. Tectonic Plates Large, solid pieces of Earth’s surface
The crust + upper part of mantle
Plates can contain oceanic or continental crust, or they can have both
About 7 major plates on Earth

6. The Pacific Plate is the only all ocean plate!!
The 7 Major Plates
North American Plate
South American Plate
African Plate
Eurasian Plate
Australian-Indian Plate
Pacific Plate
Antarctic Plate
The Pacific Plate is the only all ocean plate!!

8. Theory of Plate Tectonics
Earth’s crust is broken into plates that float on the upper part of the mantle.
Combines continental drift and seafloor spreading
Explains how and why the continents move

9. Convection
Who remembers what convection is from 6th grade or from the Hot Spot in the Pot probe?
Discuss it in your groups
Share out
Draw Pot (CCR)

10. The Force Behind Plate Movement
Convection current: movement of a liquid/gas caused by changes in temperature
Warm liquid rises, cool liquid sinks
(think of boiling water in a pan)
This occurs in the mantle and causes the plates to move

14. Plate Boundaries Plate boundary – place where two plates meet (edges)
Plates move along these boundaries
There are three types
Divergent
Convergent
Transform

15. Divergent Boundaries Plates move apart, away from each other
Form rift valleys
New crust is formed
Mid-ocean ridges occur

18. Convergent Boundaries
Tectonic plates moving toward each other (colliding, coming together)
Form Mountains

19. Transform Boundaries Plates slide past each other Rough movement
Causes earthquakes

23. Effects of Plate Tectonics
Earthquakes – sudden strong movements in earth’s crust
Mountains – landform that reaches high elevation
Volcanoes – vent in the earth through which lava erupts
Islands – volcanic island that form on top of hot spots (place where magma reaches the surface)

24. Which is Which? Where are mountains? Mid-Ocean Ridges? Earthquakes?