Tectonic Plates

Tectonic Plates

1. The earth's surface is spilt up into tectonic plates

2. The middle of the earth is called the Core

   • Solid, made of Iron and Nickel
   • Around the Core is the Mantle
     • Semi-molten rock that moves slowly
     • The outer layer is the crust
       • Divided into slabs called tectonic plates
         • Oceanic Crust, thinner (5-10km) but more dense
         • Continental Crust, thicker (30-50km), less dense

3. Plate margins are when two plates meet

   • Destructive Margins
     • When two plates are moving towards eachother
       • West Coast of South America
       • When an OP meets a CP, the OP goes into the mantle as it is more dense
         • Makes volcanoes and oceanic trenches
       • If 2 CPs meet, they collide and the ground is forced upwards to create mountain ranges
   • Constructive Margins
     • Two plates are moving away from eachother
       • The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
       • Magma rises to fill the gap. Small shield volcanoes and new crust
   • Conservative Margins
     • Two plates that are moving sideways past eachother
       • Can be same/different direction
       • Different Speeds
       • Friction is made
         • Earthquakes
     • West coast of USA
     • Crust is neither created or destroyed