A simple presentation of Plate Tectonics.

1. What is Plate Tectonics?

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. World Plates

5. Theory of Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics
A. Theory of Plate Tectonics is the idea that
the Earth’s crust and upper mantle are broken
into sections called plates that move around
on the mantle.
B. Composition of the Earth’s plates:
1. Lithosphere – the crust and part of the
upper mantle
2. Asthenosphere – the plastic-like layer
below the lithosphere

6. Causes of Plate Tectonics
Convection Current is the driving force of
plate tectonics in which hot, plastic-like
material from the mantle rises to the
lithosphere, moves horizontally, cools, and
sinks back to the mantle.
The convection currents provide enough
energy to move the plates in the lithosphere.

7. Plate Boundaries
There are three different plate boundaries:
Divergent Boundaries
Convergent Boundaries
Transform Boundaries

8. Next class we will explore and
discuss The types of Plate
Boundaries