Plate tectonics

• Plates are driven by cooling of Earth (convection)

• Gravity provides additional force to move plates.

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Modified from USGS Graphics

Convection is like a boiling pot. Heated soup rises to the surface, spreads
and begins to cool, and then sinks back to the bottom of the pot where it
 What are the tectonic plates?

AKA: Lithospheric plate

• The ~100-km-thick surface of the Earth;
• Contains crust and part of the upper mantle;
• It is rigid and brittle;
• Fractures to produce earthquakes.
USGS Graphics
What is the asthenosphere?

Asthenosphere:
• Is the hotter upper mantle below the lithospheric
plate;
• Can flow like silly putty; and
• Is a viscoelastic solid, NOT liquid!!
 Three Basic Types of Plate Boundaries
Divergent Using hands to show relative motion

Transform
Convergent

USGS Graphics
 Three Basic Types of Plate Boundaries
Divergent

Transform
Convergent

USGS Graphics
 Tectonic Plates
There are a dozen large lithospheric plates (smaller plates not shown).
Some plates have continents; some don’t. All are in motion.

Question: What evidence is there for these plate boundaries?

 Earthquakes
There are thousands of small earthquakes every day
“Strong” earthquakes (~M7) occur once a month. >M8 occur about once/year.

Where are the deepest earthquakes?

For earthquakes of the past 2 weeks, go to http://www.iris.edu/seismon/

 Earthquakes & Plate Boundaries
Notice that the earthquakes coincide with plate boundaries,
and the deepest quakes (blue) are in subduction zones.

Question: Where would you expect to see volcanoes?

Create your own maps at http://www.iris.edu/quakes/maps.htm Modified from USGS Graphics

 Volcanoes & Plate Boundaries
This map shows that locations of volcanoes (ones above sea
level) also tend to occur along the plate boundaries

Modified from USGS Graphics

 Tectonic Plates
How fast are the plates moving?
Plates move 1-10 centimeters per year (≈ rate of fingernail growth).

Fingernail growth plotted: http://jclahr.com/science/earth_science/thumbnail/index.html

Modified from USGS Graphics
 Continental Drift
How fast are the plates moving?
Plates move 1-10 centimeters per year (≈ rate of fingernail growth).

Source: http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/outreach/animations/index.html
 Seafloor Spreading

Source: http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/outreach/animations/index.html
 Collision of ‘Drifting’ India with Eurasia

Side view of subduction, ‘drifting’ India, volcanoes, & mountain-building

Source: http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/outreach/animations/index.html
Note on Source: First 8 slides are modified from a slide show prepared by Dr.
Robert Butler, University of Portland, and Jenda Johnson,
…the full source of which can be found at:

http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/videos#B