世界地理——地球的结构与板块构造英文版.pptVIP

The Structure of the Earth and Plate Tectonics Structure of the Earth The Earth is made up of 3 main layers: Core Mantle Crust The Crust This is where we live! The Earth’s crust is made of: How do we know what the Earth is made of? Geophysical surveys: seismic, gravity, magnetics, electrical, geodesy Acquisition: land, air, sea and satellite Geological surveys: fieldwork, boreholes, mines What is Plate Tectonics? If you look at a map of the world, you may notice that some of the continents could fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Plate Tectonics The Earth’s crust is divided into 12 major plates which are moved in various directions. This plate motion causes them to collide, pull apart, or scrape against each other. Each type of interaction causes a characteristic set of Earth structures or “tectonic” features. The word, tectonic, refers to the deformation of the crust as a consequence of plate interaction. World Plates What are tectonic plates made of? Plates are made of rigid lithosphere. What lies beneath the tectonic plates? Below the lithosphere (which makes up the tectonic plates) is the asthenosphere. Plate Movement “Plates” of lithosphere are moved around by the underlying hot mantle convection cells Practical Exercise 1 Supercontinents! What happens at tectonic plate boundaries? Divergent Convergent Transform Spreading ridges As plates move apart new material is erupted to fill the gap Iceland has a divergent plate boundary running through its middle There are three styles of convergent plate boundaries Continent-continent collision Continent-oceanic crust collision Ocean-ocean collision Forms mountains, e.g. European Alps, Himalayas Called SUBDUCTION Oceanic lithosphere subducts underneath the continental lithosphere Oceanic lithosphere heats and dehydrates as it subsides The melt rises forming volcanism E.g. The Andes When two oceanic plates collide, one runs over the other which causes it to sink into the mantle forming a subduction zone. The