Plate Tectonics Theory and Processes

Study Notes

Theory: The Earth's lithosphere is broken into large plates that move relative to each other, creating and destroying landforms.
Types of Plate Boundaries:
- Divergent: Plates move apart, new crust forms (e.g., mid-ocean ridges)
- Convergent: Plates collide, crust is destroyed (e.g., subduction zones)
- Transform: Plates slide past each other horizontally (e.g., fault lines)
Plate Tectonics Processes:
- Continental drift: continents move across the Earth's surface
- Seafloor spreading: new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges
- Hotspots: volcanic regions where magma rises to the surface

The Rock Cycle: The continuous process by which rocks are formed, transformed, and destroyed
Rock Types:
- Igneous: formed from magma or lava
- Sedimentary: formed from compressed sediments
- Metamorphic: formed when existing rocks are altered by heat and pressure
Rock Cycle Processes:
- Weathering: rocks break down into sediments
- Lithification: sediments are compressed into sedimentary rocks
- Metamorphism: rocks are transformed under heat and pressure
- Magmatic differentiation: magma cools and crystallizes to form igneous rocks

Weathering: The breakdown of rocks into sediments through chemical, physical, or biological processes
- Types of Weathering:
  - Mechanical weathering: physical breakdown of rocks
  - Chemical weathering: chemical reactions that alter rocks
- Factors Affecting Weathering:
  - Temperature
  - Moisture
  - Oxygen
Erosion: The transportation of sediments away from their source
- Agents of Erosion:
  - Water
  - Wind
  - Ice
- Types of Erosion:
  - Running water
  - Glacial erosion
  - Coastal erosion

Earth's Internal Structure:
- Crust: outermost solid layer
- Mantle: thick, hot, viscous layer
- Outer Core: liquid iron-nickel alloy
- Inner Core: solid, iron-nickel alloy
Heat and Energy:
- Geothermal energy: heat from the Earth's interior
- Radioactive decay: heat generated by radioactive elements
Earth's Internal Processes:
- Convection currents: slow circulation of the mantle
- Plate tectonics: movement of the Earth's lithosphere

The Earth's lithosphere is broken into large plates that move relative to each other, creating and destroying landforms.
There are three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform.
Divergent boundaries: plates move apart, new crust forms, e.g., mid-ocean ridges.
Convergent boundaries: plates collide, crust is destroyed, e.g., subduction zones.
Transform boundaries: plates slide past each other horizontally, e.g., fault lines.
Continental drift: continents move across the Earth's surface.
Seafloor spreading: new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges.
Hotspots: volcanic regions where magma rises to the surface.

The rock cycle is the continuous process by which rocks are formed, transformed, and destroyed.
There are three main types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
Igneous rocks: formed from magma or lava.
Sedimentary rocks: formed from compressed sediments.
Metamorphic rocks: formed when existing rocks are altered by heat and pressure.
Weathering: rocks break down into sediments.
Lithification: sediments are compressed into sedimentary rocks.
Metamorphism: rocks are transformed under heat and pressure.
Magmatic differentiation: magma cools and crystallizes to form igneous rocks.

Weathering: the breakdown of rocks into sediments through chemical, physical, or biological processes.
Mechanical weathering: physical breakdown of rocks.
Chemical weathering: chemical reactions that alter rocks.
Factors affecting weathering: temperature, moisture, oxygen.
Erosion: the transportation of sediments away from their source.
Agents of erosion: water, wind, ice.
Types of erosion: running water, glacial erosion, coastal erosion.

The Earth's internal structure consists of: crust, mantle, outer core, inner core.
Crust: outermost solid layer.
Mantle: thick, hot, viscous layer.
Outer core: liquid iron-nickel alloy.
Inner core: solid, iron-nickel alloy.
Geothermal energy: heat from the Earth's interior.
Radioactive decay: heat generated by radioactive elements.
Convection currents: slow circulation of the mantle.
Plate tectonics: movement of the Earth's lithosphere.