Plate tectonics: Plate Tectonic Theory

Question 1

What are the results of tectonic plate movements?

Answer 1

Formations of landforms, like oceanic trenches. Phenomena, like earthquakes and tsunamis.

Question 2

What are the parts of the internal structure of the earth?

Answer 2

Starting from the bottom, core, mantle, asthenosphere, uppermost mantle, lithosphere, crust at the top.

Question 3

How do convection currents lead to tectonic plate movements?

Answer 3

1. Heat from the earth’s core causes the mantle material to become less dense
2. Mantle material rises towards the surface
3. The rising mantle material then spreads beneath the plates and drags them apart
4. The mantle material then loses heat, sinking towards the core
5. convergent plate movement occurs where the convection currents collide
6. The process will repeat again, where the rising and sinking of the mantle forms convection

Question 4

How does slab-pull force contribute to tectonic plate movement?

Answer 4

1. When 2 plates converge, the denser oceanic crust is pulled down by gravity as it subducts beneath the less dense crust
2. The denser oceanic crust will sink deeper into the mantle, pulling the rest of the plate with it.