The Plate Tectonics Revolution Quiz

Plate Tectonics Revolution and Its Impact

• Ocean mapping, seafloor spreading, paleomagnetism, and crust subduction became confirmed pieces of scientific knowledge, leading to a revolution in earth science.
• Precise mathematical calculations and new computing power provided the final evidence for producing a grand unifying theory of earth science.
• Geophysicists used these techniques to calculate how the coastlines of the Americas, Africa, and Europe fit together and predict how the tectonic plates moved, leading to a revolution in earth science.
• The theory of plate tectonics was created, describing the structure of the Earth’s surface and leading to a map of the world divided into moving plates.
• The seven major plates and micro plates move across the weaker, hot, plasticy section of the mantle called the asthenosphere, where dynamic geological activity occurs at plate boundaries.
• The Pacific Ring of Fire, surrounding the basin of the Pacific Ocean, is known for volcanic activity and earthquakes, with approximately 75% of all volcanoes and 90% of earthquakes occurring along its path.
• Different types of plate boundaries are found at the edges of the Ring of Fire, including divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries, each associated with specific geological processes.
• The Andes and other mountain ranges are formed from plates colliding along convergent plate boundaries, while the San Andreas Fault lies on a transform boundary, causing earthquakes as the plates slide past each other.
• When two continental plates collide, neither plate is subducted, leading to the compression of the crust and the formation of mountain ranges like the Himalayas.
• The plate tectonics theory has been fine-tuned in the years following the revolution, with ongoing debates about how landmasses form and the growth of continents.
• Plate motion is detected by satellites like the European Sentinel series, and scientists continue to explore plate tectonics, seeking to understand the origins of plate tectonics and its implications for the evolution of complex life.
• Crucial connections between deep earth processes and the evolution of complex life are emerging, as continental collisions and mountain building events may have supplied large pulses of nutrients to the biosphere during key moments of evolution.