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Questions and Answers
What is the average thickness of the lithosphere covered by oceanic crust?
What is the average thickness of the lithosphere covered by oceanic crust?
How does a tectonic plate move over the asthenosphere?
How does a tectonic plate move over the asthenosphere?
What is responsible for the Earth's most dramatic geologic events?
What is responsible for the Earth's most dramatic geologic events?
Which scientist introduced the continental drift theory?
Which scientist introduced the continental drift theory?
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What causes the movement of tectonic plates?
What causes the movement of tectonic plates?
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How many major tectonic plates are there in the lithosphere?
How many major tectonic plates are there in the lithosphere?
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What was the name of the large continent that broke about 225 million years ago into the continents Laurasia and Gondwanaland?
What was the name of the large continent that broke about 225 million years ago into the continents Laurasia and Gondwanaland?
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Which piece of evidence supports the continental drift theory by showing a close match between the coastlines of continents on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean?
Which piece of evidence supports the continental drift theory by showing a close match between the coastlines of continents on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean?
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Which extinct mammal-like reptile's fossil were found in both South America and South Africa, providing evidence for the continental drift theory?
Which extinct mammal-like reptile's fossil were found in both South America and South Africa, providing evidence for the continental drift theory?
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According to the seafloor spreading theory, what causes the magma to rise to the surface and solidify into new oceanic crust?
According to the seafloor spreading theory, what causes the magma to rise to the surface and solidify into new oceanic crust?
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Who explained that stripes of magnetic material on the seafloor provide strong evidence for tectonic movements?
Who explained that stripes of magnetic material on the seafloor provide strong evidence for tectonic movements?
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Which evidence supports the continental drift theory by showing mountain ranges of the same age, structure, and rock types in South America and Africa?
Which evidence supports the continental drift theory by showing mountain ranges of the same age, structure, and rock types in South America and Africa?
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What provides strong evidence for tectonic movements according to British Geophysicists Frederick John Vine and Drummond Hoyle Matthews?
What provides strong evidence for tectonic movements according to British Geophysicists Frederick John Vine and Drummond Hoyle Matthews?
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What does the seafloor spreading theory explain?
What does the seafloor spreading theory explain?
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What is the name of the extinct herbivorous, pig-like reptile whose fossils are found in Antarctica, India, and South Africa, supporting the continental drift theory?
What is the name of the extinct herbivorous, pig-like reptile whose fossils are found in Antarctica, India, and South Africa, supporting the continental drift theory?
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What is the process by which hot and less dense material from the mantle rises to the surface on mid-ocean ridges according to the seafloor spreading theory?
What is the process by which hot and less dense material from the mantle rises to the surface on mid-ocean ridges according to the seafloor spreading theory?
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Study Notes
Lithosphere and Tectonic Plates
- The average thickness of the lithosphere covered by oceanic crust is approximately 50-100 km.
- Tectonic plates move over the asthenosphere due to convection currents, which cause the asthenosphere to flow.
- The movement of tectonic plates is responsible for the Earth's most dramatic geologic events.
Continental Drift Theory
- The scientist who introduced the continental drift theory is Alfred Wegener.
- There are 7 major tectonic plates in the lithosphere.
Evidence for Continental Drift
- The break-up of the large continent Pangaea about 225 million years ago into Laurasia and Gondwanaland supports the continental drift theory.
- The fit of the coastlines of continents on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean provides evidence for the continental drift theory.
- The fossil of the extinct mammal-like reptile Mesosaurus, found in both South America and South Africa, supports the continental drift theory.
- The existence of similar mountain ranges of the same age, structure, and rock types in South America and Africa provides evidence for the continental drift theory.
Seafloor Spreading Theory
- According to the seafloor spreading theory, magma rises to the surface and solidifies into new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges due to the process of convection.
- The stripes of magnetic material on the seafloor provide strong evidence for tectonic movements, as explained by Frederick John Vine and Drummond Hoyle Matthews.
- The seafloor spreading theory explains the process of plate tectonics, including the creation of new oceanic crust.
Fossil Evidence
- The fossil of the extinct herbivorous, pig-like reptile Lystrosaurus, found in Antarctica, India, and South Africa, supports the continental drift theory.
Mid-Ocean Ridges
- The process of convection, where hot and less dense material from the mantle rises to the surface on mid-ocean ridges, is responsible for the creation of new oceanic crust according to the seafloor spreading theory.
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Description
Learn about the major and minor tectonic plates that make up the Earth's lithosphere. Understand the characteristics of these plates, including their ability to carry both continental and oceanic crust.
