Revision Lesson Plate Tectonics

A Level geography Revision lesson
Learning objective:
To review our learning so far
and identify gaps in our
knowledge
Revision
Revision session
session based
based
on
on lesson
lesson so
so far
far (Nov
(Nov
2016)
2016)
1. Concepts of
Hazards
2. Plate tectonics
3. Storm Hazards
4. Volcanic Hazards
1. Earth structure and internal energy sources.

2. Plate tectonic theory of crustal evolution: tectonic plates;
plate movement; gravitational sliding; ridge push, slab
pull; convection currents and sea-floor spreading.
3. Destructive, constructive and conservative plate margins.
4. Characteristic processes: seismicity and vulcanicity.
5. Associated landforms: young fold mountains, rift valleys,
ocean ridges, deep sea trenches and island arcs,
volcanoes.
6. Magma plumes and their relationship to plate movement
Layers of the Earth
Crust Characteristics
Characteristics
Continental Crust
Oceanic Crust
Thickness
6-10 km
30-70 km
Age
Less than 200 million years
Over 1.500 million years
Density
2.6 (lighter)
3.0 (heavier)
Composition
Mainly granite; silicon,

aluminium, oxygen (SIAL)
Mainly basalt; silicon,

magnesium, oxygen (SIMA)
Plate Tectonics
This picture shows the plates of the
world and the way they are moving.
Plate Movement
Convection currents, basal drag and slab suction
The higher temperatures of the earths core generate zones of hotter, more fluid magma
which upwells, with cooler and denser material sinking downward, creating a continuous
circulatory motion (mantle convection currents).
These pull the crust apart by basal drag (friction) at spreading ridges and rift zones, and pull
oceanic crust down in to the mantle (slab suction) at subduction zones.
Slab pull
Plate motion is also driven by the weight of cold, dense plates sinking into the mantle at
trenches.
Gravitational sliding (slab push)

As oceanic lithosphere is formed at spreading ridges from hot mantle material, it gradually
cools and thickens with age (and thus distance from the ridge). Cool oceanic lithosphere is
significantly denser than the hot mantle material from which it is derived and so with
increasing thickness it gradually subsides into the mantle, resulting in a slight lateral incline
with distance from the ridge.
Plume tectonics
This is an alternative theory which suggests that mantle plumes are the major driving force of
the earths plates.
Evidence for Plate Explanation

Tectonics
Continental fit
Jigsaw fit of continental shelves proved that

they were once joined together
Fossils
Fossils of similar species are found in South

America and South Africa
Climate Zones
Certain places experienced ice ages when their

location would deem that impossible
Geology
Rocks of similar composition found in different

places. Identical rocks found in opposite
locations which means they once formed side
by side.
Plate
P1ote
Aslhanasphara
Aslhanasphara
Aate
Ftate
Plcle
Plate Boundaries and hotspots (or hot plumes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYv6V5EJAKc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhSaE0omw9o
Hotspots
Hotspots are volcanic regions fed
Wbhyautnidsearlyhin
ogtsm
paontt?le that is
anomalously hot compared to
the mantle.
The two theories (hot spots)

Tuzo Wilson: Theory in 1963. That a static
radioactive element in the mantle which creates
plumes of magma. Satellite imagery shows
bulges in the earths crust which shows that
there are large plumes of magma near the
surface.
ALTERNATIVE
Foulger: 2003 faults in the crust are responsible
for allowing the plume of magma through the
crust. Weaknesses in tectonic plates responsible
for the formation of hotspots.
Landforms created by tectonic

processes
Ocean Trenches are deep water areas that run along a coastline
which has a destructive plate margin. They are created by
subduction, and mark the point where the Oceanic crust is being
pushed under the Oceanic crust. There is often quite a large
section of continental crust between this margin and the ocean's
edge, and sometimes a volcanic island arc such as Japan or the
Aleutian Islands can be found in between the trench and the
continental shelf. These are not to be confused with mid ocean
ridges, which are long ridges of mountains created by 2 plates
moving apart at a constructive plate margin. Where these
mountains rise above the level of the sea Islands such as Iceland
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/Aare formed.
level/AQA/Year%2013/Plate%20Tectonics/
Plate%20tectonics/Margins%20and%20lan
dforms.htm
Landforms created by tectonic

processes
Fold mountains are large mountain ranges where the layers of
rock within them have been crumpled as they have been forced
together. They can be formed at destructive or collisional plate
boundaries, where tectonic plates are moving together forcing
layers of rock to be crumpled upwards. The layers of rock
can form 2 basic features, if the folding is up over the feature if
known as an anticline, or down over into a syncline. If the folded
rocks in an anticline go over the top of themselves we get a
feature known as an overfold.
1. Up warping of the crust takes

place as magma rises as p lates
are driven apart
TensionaJ faults and cracks

appear in the surface,
allowing out gassing and
steam eruptions
The
creation of
the African
Rift Valle
Continental Crust
Asthenosphere
Mantle
2. Plates continue t o move apart

as a Rift Valley is formed
Central
Western Rift Valley
with lakes like \
Tanganyi ka
Huge blocks of crust

descend into the Mantle
creating the Valleys
Upwelling
magma
creates
volcanoes
By Rob Gamesby
I
""
'!phy.co.uk
,ar
EARLY ISLAND ARC FORMATION

Volcanic islands start
Rob Gamesby
http://www.coolgeograph v.co .uk
ISLAND ARC DEVELOPMENT
creating an
accretionary
p r ism
A MATURE
ISLAND ARC
Rob Gamesby
http ://www.coolgeography.co .uk
Is land arc
v o lcanoes
What are mantle plumes?

Stationary, long-lived areas of heat flow within the mantle
They have a long thin tail and a bulbous head that spreads
out at the base of the lithosphere.
A HOTSPOT exists above a magma plume.
The magma is mafic and produces a shield volcano.
Ocean Trenches

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A Level geography Revision lesson

1. Earth structure and internal energy sources.

Layers of the Earth

Less than 200 million years

Over 1.500 million years

Mainly granite; silicon,

Mainly basalt; silicon,

Gravitational sliding (slab push)

Evidence for Plate Explanation

Jigsaw fit of continental shelves proved that

Fossils of similar species are found in South

Certain places experienced ice ages when their

Rocks of similar composition found in different

Plate Boundaries and hotspots (or hot plumes)

The two theories (hot spots)

Landforms created by tectonic

Landforms created by tectonic

1. Up warping of the crust takes

TensionaJ faults and cracks

2. Plates continue t o move apart

Huge blocks of crust

EARLY ISLAND ARC FORMATION

ISLAND ARC DEVELOPMENT

What are mantle plumes?

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