1. Plate Tectonics- Course 2
The Theory of Plate Tectonics

2. My Planet Diary for Florida pg. 182
Slip Sliding Away In 30 million years, this airplane might take one hour longer to fly from Florida to London than it takes today. That’s because Florida and Europe are riding on two different pieces of Earth’s crust that are moving slowly away from each other! Why will Florida be farther from London in 30 million years? ___________________________

3. What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics? Pg. 182
Earth’s lithosphere, its solid outer shell, is like an eggshell broken into pieces separated by cracks.
These pieces are called plates.
Earth’s plates meet at boundaries.
There are 3 main types of Boundaries:
DIVERGENT BOUNDARIES
CONVERGENT BOUNDARIES
TRANSFORM BOUNDARIES

4. Plates Move Away From Each Other or Divide
Divergent Boundaries
Plates Move Away From Each Other or Divide

5. Convergent Boundaries
Plates Move Towards Each other or Come together like people do at a conference.

6. Transform Boundaries
Plates Slide Past Each Other. These are also called Sliding Boundaries!

7. The Theory of Plate Tectonics pg. 183
In the mid-1960s, geologists combined what they knew about sea-floor spreading, Earth’s plates, and plate motions into a single theory called plate tectonics. The theory of plate tectonics states that Earth’s plates are in slow, constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle.

8. Mantle Convection and Plate Motions pg. 183
Plate Motions Over Time
Earth’s plates move because they are the top part of the large convection currents in Earth’s mantle.
During subduction, gravity pulls denser plate edges downward, into the mantle.
Plates move very slowly—from about 1 to 12 centimeters per year.
Earth’s plates can carry ocean floor, continents, or continents and oceans together.
So the movement of Earth’s plates has greatly changed the location of Earth’s continents, landmasses, and oceans.

9. The Theory of Plate Tectonics pg. 184
Plate Motion
Since the breakup of Pangaea, the continents have taken about 200 million years to move to their present location.
Use the Maps to Answer the Questions.
Interpret Maps List three examples of continents that have drifted apart from each other. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Which two landmasses that were NOT connected to each other in Pangaea have collided on Earth Today? ______________________________________________
200 Million Years Ago
115 Million Years Ago
Earth Today

10. Plate Boundaries pg. 185
Faults—breaks in Earth’s crust where rocks have slipped past each other—form along plate boundaries. Plate movements produce changes in Earth’s surface and on the ocean floor. These changes include the formation of volcanoes, mountain ranges, and deep-ocean trenches.

11. Divergent Boundaries pg. 185
Most divergent boundaries occur along mid-ocean ridges. Where pieces of Earth’s crust diverge on land, many deep valleys called rift valleys have formed.
The plates Divide!
Divergent
Boundaries

12. Convergent Boundaries pg. 186
Where two plates carrying oceanic crust meet at a trench, the plate that is denser sinks under the less dense plate. When two plates carrying continental crust collide, the collision squeezes the crust into high mountain ranges. The Plates Come Together!
Convergent
Boundaries

13. Transform Boundaries pg. 187
Earthquakes often occur when two plates suddenly slip along a transform boundary. These are also called Sliding Boundaries!
Transform
Boundaries

14. The Theory of Plate Tectonics
How do the plates move?
Divergent
Boundaries
Convergent
Boundaries
Transform
Boundaries

15. Earth's Changing Crust How Do Moving Plates Change Earth’s Crust?
As plates move, they produce mountains, volcanoes, and valleys as well as mid-ocean
ridges and deep-ocean trenches. Use the
terms from the list to label the diagram.

16. Assess Your Understanding pg. 187
1a. Review Plates move apart at (divergent / convergent / transform) boundaries. b. Summarize How do moving plates change Earth’s crust? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I get it! Now I know that the theory of plate tectonics states that