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Chapter 9: Problem 15

Describe the process of plate tectonics. Give specific examples of geographic features created by plate tectonics.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Plate tectonics is a theory that explains the movement of the large-scale rock plates that make up Earth's lithosphere. It results in various geographical features, including mountains, volcanoes, earthquake zones and oceanic trenches. Examples include the formation of Himalayas due to convergent movement of Indian and Eurasian Plates and the creation of Mariana Trench due to the convergent boundary between Pacific and Mariana Plates.

Step by step solution

01

Defining Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of Earth's lithosphere. This theoretical framework works on global scale and can explain the earth's seismic and volcanic activities, as well as continental drift.
02

Understanding How Plate Tectonics Works

According to the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth's lithosphere is broken into a number of tectonic plates. These plates are large slabs of rock that move, interact and reshape the earth’s crust due to the motion in the underlying, semi-fluid asthenosphere driven by Earth's inner heat energy. The movement of these plates can be divergent (moving apart), convergent (moving together), or transform (sliding past each other).
03

Examples of Geographic Features Formed by Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics has been responsible for the creation of various geographical features. Some of these include mountains, volcanoes, earthquake zones, and oceanic trenches. For instance, the Himalayas were formed as a result of the convergent movement between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Similarly, the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the world’s oceans, was formed due to the convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Mariana Plate. Lastly, volcanic activities such as those found in the Pacific Ring of Fire are a result of plate boundaries interactions, especially subduction zones.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Ozone and carbon dioxide and ozone each make up only a fraction of a percent of our atmosphere. Why, then, should we be concerned about small increases or decreases in the atmospheric abundance of these gases?

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