Three of the forces that have been proposed as the main drivers of tectonic plate movement are: There are a number of competing theories that attempt to explain what drives the movement of tectonic plates. The asthenosphere behaves like a fluid over very long time scales. What drives the movement of tectonic plates?īelow the tectonic plates lies the Earth’s asthenosphere. ![]() Observations show that most earthquakes are associated with tectonic plate boundaries and the theory of plate tectonics can be used to provide a simplified explanation of the global distribution of earthquakes, while some of the characteristics of earthquakes can be explained by using a simple elastic rebound theory. Tectonic plates move very slowly relative to each other, typically a few centimetres per year, but this still causes a huge amount of deformation at the plate boundaries, which in turn results in earthquakes. These slabs form the lithosphere, which is comprised of the crust (continental and oceanic) and the upper part of the mantle. The Earth’s outermost layer is fragmented into about 15 major slabs called tectonic plates. We also know that the outer part of the core is liquid, because S-waves do not pass through it. The core is composed of iron and we know that it exists because it refracts seismic waves creating a ‘shadow zone’ at distances between 103º and 143º.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |