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What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
A scientific theory explaining the structure and movement of Earth's lithosphere through tectonic plates.
Who proposed the hypothesis of Continental Drift?
Alfred Wegener.
What evidence supports the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
Jigsaw puzzle fit of continents, fossil evidence (e.g., Glossopteris), mineral evidence, and paleoclimatic evidence.
What is Pangea?
A supercontinent that existed about 200 million years ago.
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
Convergent, divergent, and transform fault boundaries.
What drives plate tectonics?
Convection currents in the Earth's mantle.
What evidence did Harry Hess provide to support plate tectonics?
Structural evidence, magnetic evidence, age of seafloor, seismic evidence, and presence of hotspots.
What is the Vine-Mathews-Morley Hypothesis?
A theory explaining magnetic anomalies in the ocean floor related to seafloor spreading.
What is a hotspot in geology?
A fixed mantle plume associated with volcanism.
What is the significance of mantle convection?
It is the process that drives the movement of tectonic plates.
What is seafloor spreading?
The process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and older crust is pushed away.
How does density affect tectonic plate interactions?
More dense oceanic crust will subduct under less dense continental crust.
What type of boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other?
Divergent boundary.
What happens at a convergent plate boundary?
Plates collide, leading to subduction zones or mountain building.
How do earthquakes relate to plate tectonics?
They commonly occur at plate boundaries where tectonic plates interact.
What is a transform fault boundary?
A boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally.
What geological formations are commonly found at divergent boundaries?
Mid-ocean ridges.
What does the age of the seafloor suggest about plate tectonics?
Older crust is found further from mid-ocean ridges, indicating seafloor spreading.
What is the relationship between volcanism and plate boundaries?
Volcanoes are often found at or near divergent and convergent plate boundaries.
Why is Mt. Everest still growing?
It continues to rise due to the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate.
What is the role of hotspots in plate tectonics?
They are volcanic regions created by hot mantle plumes that can occur in the middle of tectonic plates.
What does the presence of linear valleys in East Africa indicate?
It suggests a tectonic plate boundary associated with rifting.
What geological feature formed as a result of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates?
The Himalaya Mountains.
How do tectonic plates move?
They move relative to each other at a very slow but continuous rate.
What can the magnetic properties of rocks reveal about tectonic activity?
They can indicate the history of seafloor spreading and the movement of tectonic plates.
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