SCIENCE 10
MS. RIO ANN ABONITE
PLATE TECTONICS THEORY
Explains the structure and movement of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into several large, rigid plates.
• The continuous movement of the tectonic plates is primarily caused by mantle convection.
MOVEMENT MECHANISMS OF PLATE TECTONICS
Mantle Convection, Slab Pull, and Ridge Push drive plate movement.
-Plate movement is primarily driven by mantle convection, slab pull, and ridge push, not solely gravitational forces.
Lithosphere and Asthenosphere:
• Lithosphere: The rigid outer layer of the Earth.
• Asthenosphere: A semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows the tectonic plates to move.
ALFRED WEGENER:
Proposed the Continental Drift Theory, suggesting that all continents were once part of a landmass called Pangaea.
In Addition, Wegener proposed the Continental Drift Theory, which laid the groundwork for plate tectonics, but he did
not formulate the complete plate tectonics theory.
CLARENCE EDWARD DUTTON:
Known for the Theory of Isostasy, explaining how the Earth's crust maintains equilibrium.
Theory of Isostasy:
Describes how the Earth's crust floats on the denser mantle, balancing itself based on weight and density.
BOUNDARIES:
Regions where tectonic plates converge, separate, or move alongside each other.
Types of Plate Boundaries:
• Convergent Boundaries: Plates move toward each other, leading to subduction or mountain formation.
o Subduction refers to the process where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another.
o Subduction Zones: Occur when an oceanic plate is forced beneath a continental plate. The oceanic plate
will subduct because it is denser.
o Ocean trenches are typically formed at convergent boundaries, particularly where an oceanic plate
subducts beneath another plate.
o A type of plate boundary responsible for the formation of the Himalayas is the convergent boundary
between two continental plates.
o When two continental plates converge, they generally push against each other to form mountains, and
neither plate sinks significantly.
o Volcanic eruptions are more common at convergent boundaries (especially where subduction occurs)
and divergent boundaries, NOT TRANSFORM BOUNDARIES.
• Divergent Boundaries: Plates move apart, forming new oceanic crust. Seafloor spreading is responsible for this
creation.
• Transform Boundaries: Plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.
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OCEAN TRENCHES:
A long, narrow trench found at convergent boundaries.
PHENOMENA RESULTING FROM TECTONIC PLATE MOVEMENT:
Includes volcanic eruptions, mountain building, tsunamis, and rift valleys.
EVIDENCE OF PLATE MOVEMENT:
1. Paleontological Evidence: Similar fossils found on different continents suggest they were once connected.
2. Glaciation: Ancient glacial deposits in now-tropical regions indicate continents were positioned differently in the
past.
3. Structure and Rock Type: Similar geological structures across continents support the idea of past connections.
4. Paleoclimates: Evidence of ancient climates aligns with the movement of continents, such as tropical fossils
found in currently cold regions.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION FOR PLATE TECTONICS:
• Fossil Distribution: The presence of identical plant fossils on different continents suggests that the continents
were once connected.
• Land-Dwelling Reptile Fossils: Their distribution is strong evidence for continental drift because reptiles cannot
cross large bodies of water.
• Geological Features: Mountain ranges and ocean trenches align with plate boundaries.
• Seafloor Spreading: Discovery of mid-ocean ridges and magnetic striping supports the theory.
• Disaster:
A sudden calamitous event that seriously disrupts community functioning.
EARTHQUAKE:
It is the shaking or vibration of the ground due to the sudden release of energy from the rocks that fracture the
lithosphere.
• FAULT LINE:
These are large fractures in the Earth’s surface that formed due to the violent movement of the crust.
• PACIFIC RING OF FIRE
-The Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped area in the Pacific Ocean basin known for its high levels of tectonic
activity, including numerous volcanoes and earthquakes.
• DIVERGENT, CONVERGENT AND TRANSFORM
-Earthquakes can and do occur at divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries due to the movement and
interaction of tectonic plates.
SEISMIC WAVES:
-The sudden release of stored energy in the Earth’s crust creates seismic waves
-The energy carriers that move outward from the focus.
Seismic waves are crucial in understanding the different phases of an earthquake.
1. Foreshock: These are smaller seismic events that occur before the mainshock. They can help indicate that a
larger earthquake might follow, although not always predictably.
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2. Mainshock: This is the largest shock in an earthquake sequence, producing the strongest seismic waves that
radiate outward from the focus.
3. Aftershock: These are smaller quakes that occur after the mainshock as the Earth's crust adjusts to the changes
in stress and strain, producing additional seismic waves.
THE FOUR MAIN TYPES OF SEISMIC WAVES ARE:
1. Primary Waves (P-waves):
Seismic waves that can travel through solids, liquids, and gases.
It is Also called push-pull waves.
2. Secondary Waves (S-waves): Seismic waves that can travel only through solid materials.
3. Rayleigh Waves: move in an elliptical motion, producing both vertical and horizontal motions.
4. Love Waves: A type of surface wave that moves the ground horizontally, causing lateral displacement. They are
faster than Rayleigh waves but cause significant destruction.
EPICENTER:
The point directly above the focus.
FOCUS:
Focus (aka Hypocenter)
is the location in the Earth where the earthquake starts.
IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING EARTHQUAKE EPICENTERS:
• Locating epicenters helps determine which fault lines are currently active.
• Pinpointing earthquake epicenters contributes to saving lives.
DISASTER:
A sudden calamitous event that seriously disrupts community functioning.
TYPES OF NATURAL DISASTERS:
• Earthquakes
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Cyclones
• Floods
• Droughts
• Tornadoes
• Tsunamis
VULNERABILITY:
A condition that reduces people’s ability to prepare for, withstand, or respond to a hazard.
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