Science 10

1st Quarter
Plate Tectonics o There are seven relatively large plates and
a number of smaller ones, including the
• The Philippines is blessed with so many land Philippine Plate.
features such as mountains and volcanoes.
• Earth’s lithosphere consists of layers, the crust
and the upper mantle.
• Crust
o The crust is made up of variety of solid
rocks like sedimentary, metamorphic
and igneous.
▪ Sedimentary
• Debris
• Compression of rocks
▪ Metamorphic
• Intense heat
• Extreme pressure. o The plates move very slowly but constantly,
▪ Igneous and this movement is called tectonics; thus,
• Volcanic Activity the theory of moving lithospheric plates is
• Intrusive and extrusive called plate tectonics.
types o Beneath the lithosphere is the
o Has an average density of 2.8g/cm3 and asthenosphere, a region in the upper
its thickness ranges from 5 – 50 km. mantle consisting of low-density, semi-
o Thickest part where relatively young plastic rock materials that can flow like
mountain is present and thinnest along fluid.
the ocean floor. o It extends from about 100 km to 700 km
• Continental Crust below the Earth’s surface.
o Thick, less dense than oceanic crust o This layer is weak and easily deformed,
and mostly old. allowing the tectonic plates in the
o About 25 miles (32km) thick under the lithosphere to move around on Earth’s
continents. surface.
o Mostly composed of Granite.
• Oceanic Crust
o Thin, dense, sinks under continental
crust and young.
o Is only about 3-5 miles (8km) thick
under the oceans.
o Mostly composed of Basalt.
• Plate Tectonic Model
o According to the plate tectonic model,
the entire lithosphere of the Earth is
broken into numerous segments called
plates. • Convection Current
 Science 10
1st Quarter
• Earthquake • Plate Boundaries
o Consequences of moving crustal plates. o The plates are in motion. But we do not
o It is the vibration of the Earth due to notice this because the movement is
the rapid release if energy. very slow. As they move, the plates
o It releases three types of seismic waves: interact along their boundaries that
Primary waves (P-waves), Secondary produce volcanoes and generate
waves (S-waves) and Long surface earthquakes.
waves (L-waves). o In other words, volcanism and
o These waves travel at different earthquakes occur along the plate
velocities; thus, do not arrive at a boundaries.
seismic recording station at the same o Convergent Plate Boundary
time. ▪ The first type of plate boundary
o The farther the recording instrument is is termed convergent boundary
from the focus, the greater the wherein two plates are moving
difference in arrival times of the first P- toward each other.
waves compared to the first S-wave. o Divergent Plate Boundary
o The difference in arrival time will tell ▪ The second type of plate
us the distance of the earthquake’s boundary is termed divergent
focus from the seismic recording boundary wherein plates move
station. apart, creating zone of tension.
o If we have at least three (3) recording o Transform Plate Boundary
stations that can tell how far away ▪ The third type of plate
from them the earthquake occurred, boundary is termed transform
the epicenter can be determined using fault boundary wherein plates
the triangulation method. slide or grind each other
o It uses the distance information from without converging or
three seismic stations to locate the diverging.
earthquake epicenter. o Converging Oceanic and
o The places on Earth where most of the Continental Crust
earthquakes originated or some
mountains and volcanoes were formed
mark the boundaries of each
lithospheric plate.
o Each plate is slowly moving relative to
each other, causing geologic events to
happen along their boundaries.

▪ This event gives rise to the

formation of a volcanic arc near
the edge of a continental plate.
▪ The denser oceanic crust
undergoes subduction (bending
of the crust towards the
mantle).
▪ Since mantle is hotter than the
crust, the subducted crust
melts forming magma.
▪ For the oceanic crust, one
important geologic feature such
as the trench (submarine
valley) is formed.
▪ Ocean trenches are the deepest
part of the ocean
 Science 10
1st Quarter
▪ Example: Philippine trench with the volcanic island arcs (chain of
depth of 10 540 m volcanoes aligned in an arc shape).

▪ Many parts of the Philippine

archipelago originated from
oceanic-oceanic convergence.

▪ Majority of the islands in the

Philippine archipelago are
considered part of the Philippine
Mobile Belt.

▪ Another subsequent effect of the

continuous grinding of plates
against each other is the occurrence
of earthquakes.
▪ The subduction plate can cause
earthquakes at varying depths.

o Convergence of Oceanic Plates

▪ Converging oceanic plates will cause

formation of trenches, and these
trenches will become sources of
earthquakes.

▪ Underwater earthquakes can

generate tsunamis (series of ocean
waves with very long wavelength
caused by large-scale disturbances
of the ocean.

▪ If subduction happens between two

oceanic plates, the younger, less
dense plate goes on top while
the denser, older plate subducts.

▪ The subducted layer slides into the

asthenosphere and becomes magma.
When magma rises and breaks into
the surface, lava piles up and forms