What is an example of the theory of plate tectonics?
The Pacific Plate, for example, is entirely oceanic, whereas the North American Plate is capped by continental crust in the west (the North American continent) and by oceanic crust in the east and extends under the Atlantic Ocean as far as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
What is a tectonic plate in science?
A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. Plate size can vary greatly, from a few hundred to thousands of kilometers across; the Pacific and Antarctic Plates are among the largest.
What scientific evidence is there for plate tectonics?
Evidence from fossils, glaciers, and complementary coastlines helps reveal how the plates once fit together. Fossils tell us when and where plants and animals once existed. Some life “rode” on diverging plates, became isolated, and evolved into new species.
Do you think the development of plate tectonics is an example of the scientific method in action?
Plate Tectonics – A Scientific Revolution. The development of the plate tectonic theory serves as an excellent example of the scientific method. The scientific method is a series of steps that can lead to the discovery of new scientific principles.
How does the plate tectonics affect people’s lives?
Tectonic processes cause the movement of land and earthquakes. This heat drives plate tectonics and parts of the rock cycle. Where humans can live can be affected by volcanic events, sea level rise, and earthquakes, all of which are related to tectonic processes.
How were tectonic plates formed?
Starting roughly 4 billion years ago, cooler parts of Earth’s crust were pulled downwards into the warmer upper mantle, damaging and weakening the surrounding crust. The process happened again and again, the authors say, until the weak areas formed plate boundaries.
Are all plates continental plates?
Tectonic Plates are of two types, namely oceanic crust and continental crust that differ in composition.
What are 4 pieces of evidence for plate tectonics?
The four pieces of evidence for the continental drift include continents fitting together like a puzzle, scattering ancient fossils, rocks, mountain ranges, and the old climatic zones’ locations.
Which statement best describes the theory of plate tectonics?
Sections of Earth’s continents are in slow, constant movement. Explanation: The theory of plate tectonics states that pieces of Earth’s lithosphere are in slow, constant motion, developed due to convection currents in the mantle. These plates move over the asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle.
How did the development of the theory of plate tectonics demonstrate the scientific process?
The theory of plate tectonics revolutionized the earth sciences by explaining how the movement of geologic plates causes mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
How did scientific research develop the theory of plate tectonics?
In particular, four major scientific developments spurred the formulation of the plate-tectonics theory: (1) demonstration of the ruggedness and youth of the ocean floor; (2) confirmation of repeated reversals of the Earth magnetic field in the geologic past; (3) emergence of the seafloor-spreading hypothesis and …