CroninProjects.org/ Vince/ Course/ PhysGeol/ Plate-Tectonics.html/

Map of plate boundaries, selected earthquakes, and GPS velocities relative to NAM08 reference frame (fixed to the stable cratonic interior of North America), produced using UNAVCO's GPS Velocity Viewer.

This resource is under construction, and is subject to never-ending renovation. Check back before any upcoming quiz on this material to see if anything new has been added.

Plate Tectonics

Reading

Read and study ONLY the following sections of chapter 2: Sections 2.4 through 2.11

Homework

• GoogleEarth familiarization homework: CroninProjects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/GoogleEarthHomework.pdf

• Read pages 45-47 in the AGI/NAGT Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology to learn how to work with GPS data, and complete Activity 2.2 Measuring Plate Motion Using GPS

Some good videos from IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) or Chris Scotese

• Plate Boundaries & Tectonic Plates: https://youtu.be/Xzpk9110Lyw

• What Drives Plate Tectonics? Overview of processes: https://youtu.be/Nf8xvhb1eBE

• 1.5 billion years of Plate Tectonics, by Chris Scotese: https://youtu.be/IlnwyAbczog

• Plate Tectonics, 540 Ma- Modern World, by Chris Scotese: https://youtu.be/g_iEWvtKcuQ

• 240 million years ago to 250 million years in the future, by Chris Scotese: https://youtu.be/uLahVJNnoZ4

• What is the Moho? How was it discovered? https://youtu.be/omZj4GboJ00

Notes and Handouts

Handouts: Tectonics-Handouts-F2017.pdf

Notes: Tectonics-MainPoints.html

Presentation file

1405-4-Tectonics-1.pdf

1405-5-Tectonics-2.pdf

Smart Figures

2.9 — Rigid lithosphere overlies the weak asthenosphere: https://goo.gl/KH1iAR

2.13 — Rift valley: https://goo.gl/RsbHWM

2.14 — Continental rifting: Formation of new ocean basins: https://goo.gl/s4RWua

2.15 — East Africa rift valley: https://goo.gl/Gp4pje

2.19 — The collision of India and Eurasia formed the Himalayas: https://goo.gl/9lDLvo

2.20 — Transform plate boundaries: https://goo.gl/SaoJ2o

2.22 — Movement along the San Andreas fault: https://goo.gl/tKTXky

2.31 — Time scale of magnetic reversals: https://goo.gl/e9Qwe2

Vocabulary to learn

Consult your textbook or lecture notes for definitions. Remember that the best general source of definitions in geology is the AGI Glossary of Geology.

These terms are from the tectonics chapters of your laboratory manual and lecture textbook

Tectonics terms

asthenosphere	axial rift or axial valley	Brunhes normal chron	continental crust	continental lithosphere
continental rift zones	continental volcanic arc	convergent plate boundary	crust	deep-ocean trench
divergent plate boundary	hotspot (or hot spot)	hotspot trail or track	island arc	lithosphere
lithospheric plate	magnetic anomalies	magnetic polarity time scale	mantle plume	Matuyama reversed chron
mid-ocean ridge	Moho	NAM08 reference frame	NNR reference frame	normal magnetic polarity
oceanic crust	oceanic fracture zone	oceanic lithosphere	paleomagnetism	Pangaea
plate	plate tectonics	plume	remanent magnetization	reverse polarity
ridge axis	ridge push	rift valley	sea-floor spreading	slab pull
spreading center	subduction	subduction zone	transform fault	transform plate boundary
trench pull

Other basic science and geoscience words used in plate tectonics

acceleration	azimuth or azimuth method	brittle	buoyant force	compass bearing
condensation	conduction	convection	Curie temperature	deposition
differential stress	direction	displacement	ductile	elastic
fault	finite displacement	finite velocity	fluid	force
freezing	gas	geodesy	geographic north pole	geomagnetic field
geothermal gradient	GNSS	GPS	instantaneous displacement	instantaneous velocity
liquid	magma	magma chamber	magnetic north pole	magnetometer
magnitude	mantle	mass	mean	melting
microtesla	partial melting	PBO (Plate Boundary Observatory)	pressure	pressure field
Pythagorean equation	radiometric (isotopic) dating	reference frame	rheology	solid
speed	strain	stress	stress field	sublimation
tension	tesla	time series	trilateration	vaporization
velocity	viscous

Study Questions

Note that any of the vocabulary words listed above is "fair game" for a question on any quiz that includes this material.
There are also questions that are relevant to plate tectonics in Intro-Questions.html from the introductory part of this course.

Plate tectonics study questions: Tectonics-Questions.html

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