Changing Nature of Earth Mr. Lin Image Courtesy of

Look at the World Map. It looks like a puzzle. Can anyone tell me why? Image Courtesy of

Theory of Continental Drift Image Courtesy of

Image Courtesy of continental-drift.gif

Theory of Continental Drift Image Courtesy of

Theory of Continental Drift A Theory that all the continents on Earth were originally a part of one large super-continent called Pangaea. Plates on the Earth’s Crust have since moved parts of Pangaea away from each other. Image Courtesy of s/6/65/Pangaea.png PANGAEA

How Do the Continents Move?

Plate Tectonics The Earth’s surface (called the Crust) is cracked into large “plates” These plates float on the molten rock under the crust. Image Courtesy of D-DEB9B0217EA6/0/earth_cut.jpg

Plates Image Courtesy of

Plates Image Courtesy of

Plate Tectonics Show Video on Plate Tectonics

Plate Tectonics When Plates are next to each other, they can move in three main ways: –Away from each other Divergent –Into each other Convergent –By sliding Transformational Image Courtesy of e/convergent-boundary-oceanic-continental-still.gif

Convergent Plates

Mountains like Mt. Everest are built by Convergent Plates

Divergent Plates

Transformational

Mwwwaaa hahahahA HAHAH!!! So What Moves the Plates? (Let’s first investigate the layers of the EARTH)

Layers of the Earth Crust: Solid rock Mantle: Melted rock Outer Core: Melted metal Inner Core: Solid Metal Image Courtesy of s/artikel/abb10_gross.jpg

Inner Core: 800 miles thick. Made of solid nickel and iron Outer Core: 1,400 miles thick. Made of liquid nickel and iron Mantle: 1,800 miles thick. Made of magma Crust: 3-5 miles thick. Made of rocks

Layers of the Earth Image Courtesy of