Download - A report on tectonic plates
A REPORT ON
TECTONIC PLATES
Submitted by:Sutapa GhoshClass IX ‘A’D.A.V. Public School Bistupur, Jamshedpur
I W O U L D L I K E T O E X P R E S S M Y S P E C I A L T H A N K S O F G R A T I T U D E T O M Y T E A C H E R M R S . N I L O F E R M A N W H O G A V E M E T H E G O L D E N O P P O R T U N I T Y T O D O T H I S W O N D E R F U L P R O J E C T O N “ T E C T O N I C
P L A T E S " , W H I C H A L S O H E L P E D M E I N D O I N G A L O T O F R E S E A R C H A N D I C A M E T O K N O W A B O U T S O M A N Y N E W T H I N G S .
I A M R E A L LY T H A N K F U L T O T H E M .S E C O N D LY I W O U L D A L S O L I K E T O T H A N K M Y B R O T H E R , P A R E N T S A N D F R I E N D S W H O H E L P E D M E A L O T I N F I N I S H I N G T H I S P R O J E C T
W I T H I N T H E L I M I T E D T I M E .
I A M M A K I N G T H I S P R O J E C T N O T O N LY F O R M A R K S B U T T O A L S O I N C R E A S E M Y K N O W L E D G E .
T H A N K S A G A I N T O A L L W H O H E L P E D M E .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
WHAT IS A TECTONIC PLATE?
A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a
massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally
composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. Plate
size can vary greatly, from a few hundred to thousands of
kilometers across; the Pacific and Antarctic Plates are among
the largest. Plate thickness also varies greatly, ranging from
less than 15 km for young oceanic lithosphere to about 200
km or more for ancient continental lithosphere (for example,
the interior parts of North and South America).
The Main Features Of
Plate Tectonics Are:
The Earth's surface is covered by a series of crustal plates. The ocean floors are continually moving, spreading from the
center, sinking at the edges, and being regenerated. Convection currents beneath the plates move the crustal plates
in different directions The source of heat driving the convention currents is
radioctivity deep in the mantle.
The Movement of the Plates Creates Three Types of Tectonic Boundaries: Convergent
Boundaries Divergent Boundaries Transform
Boundaries
T H E S E C O N V E R G E N T B O U N D A R I E S A L S O O C C U R W H E R E A P L A T E O F O C E A N D I V E S , I N A P R O C E S S
C A L L E D S U B D U C T I O N , U N D E R A L A N D M A S S . A S T H E O V E R LY I N G P L A T E L I F T S U P, I T A L S O F O R M S
M O U N T A I N R A N G E S . I N A D D I T I O N , T H E D I V I N G P L A T E M E LT S A N D I S O F T E N S P E W E D O U T I N V O L C A N I C
E R U P T I O N S S U C H A S T H O S E T H A T F O R M E D S O M E O F T H E M O U N T A I N S I N T H E A N D E S O F S O U T H A M E R I C A .
Convergent plates
A T D I V E R G E N T B O U N D A R I E S I N T H E O C E A N S , M A G M A F R O M D E E P I N T H E E A R T H ' S M A N T L E R I S E S T O W A R D T H E
S U R F A C E A N D P U S H E S A P A R T T W O O R M O R E P L A T E S . M O U N T A I N S A N D V O L C A N O E S R I S E A L O N G T H E S E A M .
T H E P R O C E S S R E N E W S T H E O C E A N F L O O R A N D W I D E N S T H E G I A N T B A S I N S . A S I N G L E M I D - O C E A N R I D G E
S Y S T E M C O N N E C T S T H E W O R L D ' S O C E A N S , M A K I N G T H E R I D G E T H E L O N G E S T M O U N T A I N R A N G E I N T H E W O R L D .
Divergent Plates
T H E S A N A N D R E A S FA U LT I N C A L I F O R N I A I S A N E X A M P L E O F A T R A N S F O R M B O U N D A R Y, W H E R E T W O P L A T E S G R I N D P A S T E A C H O T H E R A L O N G W H A T A R E C A L L E D S T R I K E - S L I P FA U LT S . T H E S E B O U N D A R I E S
D O N ' T P R O D U C E S P E C T A C U L A R F E A T U R E S L I K E M O U N T A I N S O R O C E A N S , B U T T H E H A LT I N G M O T I O N
O F T E N T R I G G E R S L A R G E E A R T H Q U A K E S , S U C H A S T H E 1 9 0 6 O N E T H A T D E V A S T A T E D S A N F R A N C I S C O .
Transform Plates