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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