Plate Tectonics Using Google Earth: Analysis of Lithospheric Movement and Boundary Processes
Overview
This paper examines plate tectonics theory and the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates using Google Earth as an analytical tool. It discusses divergent and convergent plate boundaries, their characteristic features including volcanic activity, earthquakes, and mountain formation, and provides specific geological examples such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Andes Mountains, and major oceanic trenches.
What this coursework covers
- Introduction to plate tectonics theory and lithospheric composition
- Divergent and convergent plate boundary types and their geological consequences
- Lithospheric thickness variations and oceanic versus continental crust characteristics
- Specific case studies including Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Nazca-South American plate interaction, and Iceland
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Plate Tectonics Using Google Earth
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Plate Tectonics Using Google Earth
The theory of plate tectonics holds that the brittle lithosphere of the Earth is made up of the upper mantle and the crust. The lithosphere made up of tectonic plates that move slowly and relatively to each other over time. Convection in the core hot and viscous mantle is responsible for driving the movement of a plate. Volcanic activity, the formation of oceanic trench, earthquakes, and mountain building take place along the boundaries of plates.
Divergent boundaries are caused by two tectonic plates moving away from each other. Earthquakes are frequent along these boundaries and magma goes up from the mantle of the Earth to the surface, solidifying to form new oceanic crust. When two plates collide, convergent boundaries occur. The effect of this collision could lead to the edges of both or one of the plates buckling up into a mountain ranges or one plate bending into a deep seafloor trench. Divergent boundaries may take place inside continents, although they will open up and develop into ocean basins eventually. When formed on land, they become rift valleys. Divergent boundaries involving oceanic plates are the most active and are often known as mid-oceanic ridges.
Continental collisions result in the formation of mountain ranges. Mountains are not evenly distributed on the Earth’s surface. The summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth is 8,850M above sea level.