Plate Tectonics Notes

Alfred Wegener – developed the Theory of Continental Drift Noticed the continents fit together like a puzzle Found fossils of identical species on different continents Found identical geologic structures on different continents Pangaea – name of the giant supercontinent Theory of Plate Tectonics – states that the lithosphere is divided into plates that are slowly moving on the asthenosphere

Continental crust – crust that is beneath the continents Thicker Denser Older crust Oceanic crust – crust that is beneath the oceans Thinner Less dense Newer crust

Types of Boundaries Convergent boundary – boundary that occurs where two plates are moving toward each other Divergent boundary – boundary that occurs where two plates are moving away from each other Transform boundary – boundary that occurs where two boundaries are sliding past each other