What is Plate Tectonics The Earth’s crust and upper mantle are broken into sections called plates Plates move around on top of the mantle like rafts

What is the Asthenoshere? The plastic layer below the lithosphere = asthenosphere The plates of the lithosphere float on the asthenosphere

Continental Drift Theory that continents have moved slowly to their current locations. At one point continents created a super-continent called PANGEA

Evidence of Pangea

2 Types of Plates Ocean plates - plates below the oceans Continental plates - plates below the continents

Causes of Plate Tectonics

Convection Currents Hot magma in the Earth moves toward the surface, cools, then sinks again. Creates convection currents beneath the plates that cause the plates to move.

Questions... What causes plates to move? How is a convection current formed?

Sea Floor Spreading Mid Ocean Ridges – underwater mountain chains that run through the Earth’s Basins Magma rises to the surface and solidifies and new crust forms Older Crust is pushed farther away from the ridge

Sea Floor Spreading

Pangea activity

Ticket out the door Why would you expect to see similar rocks and rock structure on two landmasses that were connected at one time? Answer using ARE. Minimum of 5 sentences Assertion- restate without using yes or no Reasoning- Broad statement Examples/Evidence- specific statements