1. Plate Tectonics

2. Theory of Plate Tectonics
Earth’s top layers (Lithosphere) is broken into 7 plates, which move around

3. The Lithosphere
Crust and Upper part of the Mantle

4. What Causes the Plates to Move?
Convection- hot magma rises, cool magma sinks (like a lava lamp)

5. Two Types of crust Continental Crust- made of granite (light)
Oceanic Crust- made of basalt (heavy)

6. Plate Boundaries
Cracks in the plates are called faults

7. Types of Boundaries (Faults)
Convergent Boundary
Divergent Boundary
Transform Boundary

8. Divergent Fault Plates move away from each other
Forms volcanoes and new crust
Ex) Iceland, mid-Atlantic ridge

9. Transform Fault Plates slide past each other Creates earthquakes
Ex) San Andreas Fault in California

10. Convergent Fault Plates move toward each other
Earthquakes, forms mountain ranges
Ex) Himalayan Mountains

11. Continental-Continental Boundary
Plates fold, create mountains

12. Oceanic-Oceanic Boundary
Creates trenches (deep valleys)
Forms volcanoes
Ex) Aleutian Islands (Alaska)

13. Oceanic-Continental Boundary
Oceanic plate pushes down because it is more dense
Creates mountain ranges
Ex) Andes mountains