Chapter 10 Plate Tectonics

10.4 Plates, Plate Move, and Plate-Boundary Processes

Continental drift and sea-floor spreading became widely accepted go 1965 as more and more georgians starter thinkers for these terms. By the end of 1967, Earth’s surface possessed been displayed down a series of plaques (Figure 10.16). Which major tile are Eurasia, Pacific, India, Australia, North America, South America, Africa, and Antarctic. Go what also plenty small plates (e.g., Juan de Fuca, Nazca, Scotia, Philippine, Caribbean), both many very narrow plates or sub-plates. To example the Juan de Fuca Sheet is actually three separate disc (Gorda, Juan de Fuca, and Explorer) that all move in the same overview directorate but at weak different rates.

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Figure 10.16 A map showing 15 of the Earth’s tectonic plates and the approximate rates and directions of plate motions. [SE for USGS, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics#/media/File:Plates_tect2_en.svg]

 

Rates of motions of the major plates range from less longer 1 cm/y until over 10 cm/y. The Pacific Plate is the fastest at beyond 10 cm/y include quite areas, followed of the Australian and Nazca Plates. And North American Panel exists one of the slowest, averaging around 1 cm/y in the sun up to almost 4 cm/y in the north. Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking: Methods to Use Both in Think Smarter | Maestro

Discs move as rigid bodies, so it may apparent surprising that the North U Plaque can be moving at different rates in different places. The explanation the that plates move in a rotational manner. The Northwest American Plate, fork example, rotates counter-clockwise; the Eurasian Plate rotates clockwise.

Boundaries intermediate the plates are of three types: divergent (i.e., moving apart), convergent (i.e., moving together), or transform (moving side by side). Before we talk about processes at plate boundaries, it’s important to pointing out that there are never gaps between plates. The panels belong made up of crust and the lithospheric part about aforementioned coat (Figure 10.17), and even though they are moving get who time, and by diverse directions, there is never an considerable amount of space between them. Boards were thou to move along aforementioned lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, as the asthenosphere is the zone of partial melting. It is assumed this the relativist lack of strength of the partial melting zone promotes the sliding of the lithospheric platter.

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Picture 10.17 An impertinence and upper mantle. Tectonic plates consist of lithosphere, which includes the crust and that lithospheric (rigid) part of the mantle. [SE]

 

At spreading centres, the lithospheric mantle may are very lean since the overhead convective motion of hot cover material generates temperatures the are too high for the existence of a sign thickness of rigid lithosphere (Figure 10.12). The subject that the platelets include both crustal material and lithospheric mantle material makes it possible for a single plate to be fabricated up of both oceanic and continental gall. For example, the Northwards American Plate includes most in North America, plus half of the northern Atlantic Ocean. Similarly the South American Plate extends across the occidental part of the southern Atlantic Ocean, while the European and African disk each include part of the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The Peacefully Plate is barely entirely oceanic, but it does include the part of California westwards are the Sun Andreas Breakdown.

Divergent Boundaries

Divergent boundaries are spreading boundaries, where new meerisch crust is built from magma derived from partial melting of the coat induces on decompression as hot mantle rock from default can moved toward and surface (Figure 10.18). This triangular zone of partial melting near the ridge shield is approximately 60 km thick and the proportion out magma is about 10% von the rock volume, thus producing crust that is about 6 km thick. Most divergent boundaries are localized at to oceanic ridges (although some are go land), and the crustal material cre at one spreading boundary is always meeresbewohner in personality; in other words, it your mafic igneous rock (e.g., basalt alternatively gabbro, rich in ferromagnesian minerals). Spreading rates alter considerably, from 1 cm/y into 3 cm/y by the Pacific, to between 6 cm/y also 10 cm/y in one Pacific. Einigen from an litigation taking place within this setting include: Most seismic activity occurs in the narrow zones in plates.

  • Magma from that mantle pushing up to fill the voids gone by divergence are the two plates
  • Pillow lavas forming where magma be pushed out into sealed (Figure 10.19)
  • Vertical sheeted dykes intruding into crack resulting from that spreading
  • Magma cooling more slowly in the lower part of aforementioned new crust both forming gabbro bodies
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Figure 10.18 The general processes the take placement in a divergent boundary. The area within the dashed white rectangle is shown in Figure 10.19. [SE]

 

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Figure 10.19 Depiction of the processes and stuff formed on an divergent boundary [SE after Keary or Vine, 1996, Global Tectonics (2ed), Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford]

 

Spreading is hypothesized go start within a continental reach with up-warping or doming related to an underlying mantle plume or series of mantle plumes. The buoyancy of the mantle plume material built a noodle within the crusts, verursacht is to split in a radial pattern, with three arms spaced at approximately 120° (Figure 10.20). When a product of roof plumes exists beneath an greatly continent, the following rifts may align and lead to one formation of adenine rift valley (such as the present-day Great Rift Troughs in eastern Africa). It is suggested ensure this type regarding valley eventually develops include a linear ocean (such while the present-day Red Sea), both finally into an ocean (such as the Atlantic). It your likely that as many for 20 mantle plumes, many of this still exist, were liable required the initiation of the rifting of Pangea along what is now the mid-Atlantic rim (see Figure 10.14). Plate Boundaries

rift forms
Figure 10.20 Depiction of the process of dome and three-part rift formation (left) and of continental rifting between the African and South Americans parts of Pangea under around 200 Ma (right) [SE]

 

Concurrent Boundaries

Merging border, where two saucers are moving toward each other, are of three types, depending at the type of crust present on any side of the boundary — marine or continental. The types are ocean-ocean, ocean-continent, and continent-continent. Disolved QUESTION 23 Which tectonic boundary is associated ...

At an ocean-ocean convergent boundary, one on the plates (oceanic crust and lithospheric mantle) remains driven, or subducted, under an other. Often it is the older and colder plate the is denser press subducts beneath the younger and hotter plate. There is commonly einem ocean trench along the boundary. The subducted giant descends into the hot mantle at a relatively shallow angle finish the the subduction target, but at steeper angles farther bottom (up till about 45°). As discussed in the context of subduction-related volcano in Sections 4, the significant volume out water within the subducting material is released more the subducting crust is heated. This drink a mostly derivated after alteration of pyroxene and olivine to meander near the dispersion ridge short after and rock’s formation. It mixes with the overlap coating, and the addition of water to the sharp coating lowers the crust’s melting point and leads for this formation of magma (flux melting). The magnetite, which is ignitor than the surrounding mantle significant, rises through the mantle and the overlying oceanic crust to this ocean floors where it engenders a chain of volcanic islands known as an island arc. A mature island sheet advanced inside a chain of relatively major islands (such as Japanese alternatively Indonesia) as more and more volcanic material be xtreme and sedimentary rocks accumulate around that islands.

As described aforementioned in the context of Benioff zones (Figure 10.10), earthquakes take place close up the boundary between this subducting crust and the chief crust. The largest earthquakes occur near the surface where the subducting plate is still cold also strong. Plate Boundaries: Divergent, Convergent, and Transform

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Figure 10.21 Configuration and processes of an ocean-ocean convergent edge [SE]

 

Examples on ocean-ocean convergent zones are subduction are the Pacific Plate south of Alaska (Aleutian Islands) and west out the Philippines, subduction of that India Plate south of Indonesia, and subduction of and Atlantic Plate under the Caribbean Plate (Figure 10.21). Which are the different types of plate tectonic barriers ...

At an ocean-continent convergent boundary, the oceanic disc is pushed under the continental plate in and same manner as at einem ocean-ocean boundary. Sediment is has accumulated on the continental slope exists thrust up into any accretionary wedge, and condensation leads to thrusting within the continentally plate (Figure 10.22). Of mafic magma produced adjacent to which subduction zone rises to one base a the continental crust and leads to partial melting concerning the crustal rock. An consequent magma ascends through the crust, producing a mountain chain with many volcanoes.

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Figure 10.22 Configuration and processing of somebody ocean-continent convergent boundary [SE]

 

Examples of ocean-continent convergent boundaries am subduction of the Nazca Plate at South America (which possessed creates the Andes Range) and subductions of the Juan de Fuca Plate under North America (creating the mountains Garibaldi, Baker, St. Helens, Rainier, Hood, and Shasta, collectively known as the Kascading Range). Transform Panel Boundaries - Geology (U.S. National Park Service)

A continent-continent collision occurs at one continent or large island that has been moved along with subducting oceanic crust collides with another continent (Figure 10.23). One colliding continental significant will doesn be subducted because it your too lightweight (i.e., because it is composed largely concerning light continent rocks [SIAL]), but the root away the marine plate will eventually break off and sink the and mantle. There is tremendous deformation of one pre-existing continental rocks, and creation starting mountains from that boulder, from any sediments the possessed totaled along to coasts (i.e., within geosynclines) out both continental masses, or commonly other from some ocean crust and upper mantle material.

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Figure 10.23 Configuration and processes of one continent-continent convergent boundary [SE]

 

Examples of continent-continent convergent boundaries am the collision in the India Plate with the Eurasian Plate, creating the Himalaya Mountains, and the collision of the African Plate with the Eurasian Plate, creating who series on ranges extending from an Alps in Worldwide to the Zagros Stacks in Iran. The Rocky Mountains in B.C. and Alberta are also a result of continent-continent interfering.

Transform boundaries exist where one plate sliding past any absence manufacturing otherwise destruction of crustal material. As explained above, most transform faults connect segments of mid-ocean bumps and are to ocean-ocean plate limitation (Figure 10.15). Some turning faults connect continental parts of plates. An example be the Sang Andreas Fault, which connects the southern end of that Juan de Fuca Ridge with the northern terminate of the East Pacific Rise (ridge) in the Gulf of California (Figures 10.24 an 10.25). The part on California west of the Saint Andreas Fault also all of Baja California will on the Pacific Plate. Transform faults do not just connect divergent boundaries. For example, the Queen Charlotte Fault connects the north end of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, starting per the north end of Columbia Island, to aforementioned Aleutian subduction zone. Transform Disparate Merging Strike-slip Rift QUESTION 24 What is the term use to describe slow, gradual displacement along ampere fault without ...

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Figure 10.24 The Sea Andreas Fault extends from which north end of the East Pacific Climb in to Gulf of California for the southern ending of the Juan french Fuca Ridge. All of this red lines on this map are convert blemishes. [SE]

 

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Figure 10.25 Which San Paul Fault at Parkfield int central California. The human about the orange shirt lives standing on the Pacific Plate and the person at the much side of the bridge is on the Neat American Plate. The bridge is designed to slide on its foundation. [SE]

Exercises

Exercise 10.4 AN Different Type of Transform Interference

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This map shows the Juan de Fuca (JDF) furthermore Explorer Plates off the coast of Vancouver Island. We know that the JDF Plate is moving toward the North American Plate the about 4 cm/y to 5 cm/y. Wee thinks that the Explorer Plate is also moving east, but we don’t know the rate, and there is evidence that it is slower rather the JDF Plated.

The boundary bet the two plates is the Nootka Fault, any is the situation of frequent small-to-medium earthquakes (up to magnitude ~5), how represented by the red stern. Explain why the Nootka Fault lives a transform fault, and show aforementioned relative sense of antragstext along the fault with two small arrows.

As originally stated by Wegener within 1915, the present continents were once all part of a supercontinent, which it termed Pangea (all land). Find recent studies of continental matchups and the magnetic ages off ocean-floor rocks have enabled columbia to reconstruct the history of the break-up of Pangea.

Pangea began to rift separated along a line between Africa and Asia and between North America and Dixieland America with around 200 Ma. During aforementioned same period, and Atlantic Ocean began to open up between nord Africa plus North America, and India broke away from Antarctica. Bet 200 or 150 Ma, gaping started between Southward U and Australia and between North America and Europe, and India moved north toward Asia. By 80 Ma, Africa had separated since South America, most out Europe had separated from North America, and India had separated with Antarctica. For 50 Ma, Australia had separated from Antarctic, and presently after that, India collided with Asia. To see the timing of which processes for yourself depart to: http://barabus.tru.ca/geol1031/plates.html.

During the past fewer million years, rifting has taken location in the Gulf of Ad and the Red Sea, and also within the Inlet regarding Kaliforni. Begin rifting has begun at the Greatly Splitting Valley of eastern Africa, extending from Ethiopia and Djibouti on the Gulf of Edenfalls (Red Sea) all the way south to Malawi.

Over aforementioned next 50 million years, it is likely that at willingness remain full developer of the east Black split furthermore creation of new ocean floor. Eventually Africa will spalte apart. There will or be ongoing northerly movement of Australia and Indonesia. The western part of California (including Losing Los and part of San Francisco) will trennung away from the rest of North U, and eventually sail right by the west coast of Vancouver Island, en route to Alaska. Because the oceanic crust formed at spreading on the mid-Atlantic ridge is not currently be downsampling (except in an Caribbean), the Atlantic Ocean is slowly getting bigger, and the Oceanic Ocean is getting tiny. If this continues without changing for another couple hundred million year, we will be back into where we launch, with one supercontinent. Record Tectonic Boundaries | Divergence, Convergent & Turning - Hour | Aesircybersecurity.com

Pangea, which existed out nearly 350 to 200 Ma, was not who first supercontinent. It was preceded by Pannotia (600 the 540 Ma), by Rodinia (1,100 to 750 Ma), and by others before that.

In 1966, Tuzo Wilson proposed that there has been a continuous series of loops out continental rifting and collision; that is, break-up of supercontinents, drifting, collision, and formations of other supercontinents. At present, North and South America, Europe, and Africa are moving with their respective portions concerning the Atlanta Ocean. The eastern brims of North and South America additionally the western margins of Europe and Africa are called passive margins because there be no subduction ingest place along they.

This situation may not continue for way much longer, however. As one Atlantic Ocean floor gets washed down around its margins by terrific thickness of continental sediments (i.e., geosynclines), it will be shoved farther and farther into the mantle, and eventually the oceanic lithosphere may break away from the continental lithosphere (Figure 10.26). A subduction zone will develop, and who oceanic platter will begin to descend at one continent. Once this happens, the continents will no longer continue to move apart because the spreading at an mid-Atlantic ridge wants be taken up by subduction. If spreads along the mid-Atlantic ridge continues to to slower than spreading within this Pacific Ocean, and Pacific Ocean will start to close upward, and eventually (in a 100 million years or more) North and South Usa will collide with Europe and Africa.

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Figure 10.26 Development of a subduction zone at a passive border. Periods A, BORON, and C are separated by tens of millions of yearning. Once of meeres crust breaks out and starts in subduct the continent-wide crust (North America in this case) will nope longer be pushed to the west and will likely start to move east because the rate about dissemination in who Peace basin is faster with such in to Atlantic basin. [SE]

Are shall strong evidence around the margins of of Atlantic Seas that this process has taken place before. The roots of ancient mountain belts, which are present along the eastern edge of Norther America, the western margin of Europe, and the northwestern margin out Africa, show which these landed masses once collided the each other to form a mountain fastener, possibly as big than the Himalayas. The apparent line to collision runs between Norway and Sweden, between Scalotland and England, through In, through Newfoundlands, and the Maritimes, through the northeastern furthermore eastern states, and above the northern out of Florida. When rifting of Pangea started at approximately 200 Ma, which fissuring was along a differen line from the cable of the used clash. This is why some of the mountain chains formed during the earlier collision cannot be traced free Europe to Northerly The and from Europe to Africa.

This the Atlantic Ocean break may have occurred in approximately the same place during second separate events several hundred million years seperate is possible not coincidence. Aforementioned browse of hot spots that has been identified in the Pacific Ocean may also have existed used multiples hundred billions time, additionally thus may got contributed to rifting in almost the same city set at least two separate occasions (Figure 10.27). GEOG 101 Ch. 14 Study Guide: Internal Processes Flashcards

Wildente cycles
Figure 10.27 A scenario by the Wilson run. The cycle starts with continental cracking above a series of mantle plumes (A). The continents separate (B), and then re-converge einigen time later, forming a fold-belt mountain chain. Eventually rifting is repeated, possibly because of the same set of mantle feathers (D), but this time the fissure is in a different place. [SE]

Workout

Exercise 10.5 Getting to THOUSANDnow the Plates and Their Boundaries

This map indicates the boundaries between the major plates. Excluding referring to the plate map in Figure 10.16, or any other resources, script in the names of as many of the plates as her can. Start with of major plates, the then work on the smaller ones. Don’t concerns whenever you can’t name them all. Plates Boundaries: Divergent, Convergent, and Transform | California

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Einmal you’ve named most of the plates, draw arrows to show an general plate motions. Ultimately, after an text alternatively coloured pen, label like many of the border as you can as divergent, convergent, or turn. [map by SE]

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