1. Chapter 2: Plate Tectonics

2. Layers of the Earth

3. Layers of the Earth
Denser
Basaltic
Rocks

4. Layers of the Earth
Denser Less dense
Basaltic Granitic
Rocks Rocks

6. Alfred Wegener’s
Continental Drift Theory

7. Evidences

8. Evidences

9. Evidences

10. Evidences
• Geological Evidence: Edges of continents fit like a
jig-saw

11. Evidences
• Geological Evidence: Edges of continents fit like a
jig-saw
• Biological Evidence: Fossils & Imprints of plants

12. Evidences
• Geological Evidence: Edges of continents fit like a
jig-saw
• Biological Evidence: Fossils & Imprints of plants
• Climate Based Evidence: Glaciation

14. So does our earth still
move today?

15. So does our earth still
move today?
How will earth look like
in the future?

16. What’s wrong with Wegener’s theory
of Continental Drift?

17. What’s wrong with Wegener’s theory
of Continental Drift?

18. What’s wrong with Wegener’s theory
of Continental Drift?
• Continents do NOT move.

19. What’s wrong with Wegener’s theory
of Continental Drift?
• Continents do NOT move.
• It is the tectonic (crustal) plates that consist of both
oceanic and continental crusts that moves.

20. Tectonic Plates vs.
Plate Tectonics

21. Tectonic Plates vs.
Plate Tectonics
• Tectonic (Crustal) Plates:

22. Tectonic Plates vs.
Plate Tectonics
• Tectonic (Crustal) Plates:
• Consist of both continental and oceanic crusts.

23. Tectonic Plates vs.
Plate Tectonics
• Tectonic (Crustal) Plates:
• Consist of both continental and oceanic crusts.
• Plate Tectonics:

24. Tectonic Plates vs.
Plate Tectonics
• Tectonic (Crustal) Plates:
• Consist of both continental and oceanic crusts.
• Plate Tectonics:
• How plates move

25. Tectonic Plates vs.
Plate Tectonics
• Tectonic (Crustal) Plates:
• Consist of both continental and oceanic crusts.
• Plate Tectonics:
• How plates move
• Why they move

26. Tectonic Plates vs.
Plate Tectonics
• Tectonic (Crustal) Plates:
• Consist of both continental and oceanic crusts.
• Plate Tectonics:
• How plates move
• Why they move
• How the movement changes the physical
landscape

28. Memorise!

29. Plate Boundaries & Movements

30. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries

31. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)

32. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)
• Tensional force

33. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)
• Tensional force
• 2. Destructive plate boundaries

34. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)
• Tensional force
• 2. Destructive plate boundaries
• Convergent (Move towards)

35. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)
• Tensional force
• 2. Destructive plate boundaries
• Convergent (Move towards)
• Compressional force

36. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)
• Tensional force
• 2. Destructive plate boundaries
• Convergent (Move towards)
• Compressional force
• 3. Conservative plate boundaries

37. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)
• Tensional force
• 2. Destructive plate boundaries
• Convergent (Move towards)
• Compressional force
• 3. Conservative plate boundaries
• Transform (Slide past)

38. Plate Boundaries & Movements
• 1. Constructive plate boundaries
• Divergent (Move apart)
• Tensional force
• 2. Destructive plate boundaries
• Convergent (Move towards)
• Compressional force
• 3. Conservative plate boundaries
• Transform (Slide past)
• Frictional force

39. Physical features in the World

40. Physical features in the World
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

41. Physical features in the World
East
African
Rift Valley
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

42. Physical features in the World
East
African
Rift Valley
Andes
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

43. Physical features in the World
Rockies
East
African
Rift Valley
Andes
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

44. Physical features in the World
Himalayas
Rockies
East
African
Rift Valley
Andes
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

45. Physical features in the World
St. Andrea’s
Fault
Himalayas
Rockies
East
African
Rift Valley
Andes
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

46. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
Sea Floor Spreading
Plates diverges & pulls apart

47. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries

48. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries

49. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Oceanic
Crusts

50. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Oceanic
Crusts
• Ridges.

51. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Oceanic
Crusts
• Ridges.
• Eg. Mid-Atlantic Ridge

52. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Oceanic
Crusts
• Ridges.
• Eg. Mid-Atlantic Ridge
• Sometimes lava fountains are
found in the middle of the
ridges.

53. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries

54. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Continental-
Continental Crusts

55. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Continental-
Continental Crusts

56. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Continental-
Continental Crusts
• Rift Valleys

57. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Continental-
Continental Crusts
• Rift Valleys
• Eg. East African Rift Valley

58. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Continental-
Continental Crusts
• Rift Valleys
• Eg. East African Rift Valley
• Magma rises and squeezes through
the widening cracks, sometimes to
erupt and form volcanoes.

59. 1. Constructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Continental-
Continental Crusts
• Rift Valleys
• Eg. East African Rift Valley
• Magma rises and squeezes through
the widening cracks, sometimes to
erupt and form volcanoes.
• The rising magma puts more
pressure on the crust to produce
additional fractures and, ultimately,
the rift zone.

60. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
Plates converges & collide

61. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

62. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

63. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

64. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts

65. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts
• Mountains

66. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts
• Mountains
• Eg. Andes

67. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts
• Mountains
• Eg. Andes
• Trench

68. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts
• Mountains
• Eg. Andes
• Trench
• Eg. Peru-Chile Trench

69. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts
• Mountains
• Eg. Andes
• Trench
• Eg. Peru-Chile Trench
• Earthquakes

70. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts
• Mountains
• Eg. Andes
• Trench
• Eg. Peru-Chile Trench
• Earthquakes

71. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #1: Oceanic-Continental Crusts
• Mountains
• Eg. Andes
• Trench
• Eg. Peru-Chile Trench
• Earthquakes

72. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

73. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

74. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

75. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Oceanic-Oceanic Crusts

76. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Oceanic-Oceanic Crusts
• Oceanic trenches

77. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Oceanic-Oceanic Crusts
• Oceanic trenches
• Eg. Marianas Trench

78. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Oceanic-Oceanic Crusts
• Oceanic trenches
• Eg. Marianas Trench
• Volcanic islands  Island Arcs

79. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Oceanic-Oceanic Crusts
• Oceanic trenches
• Eg. Marianas Trench
• Volcanic islands  Island Arcs
• Hawaiian Islands

80. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #2: Oceanic-Oceanic Crusts
• Oceanic trenches
• Eg. Marianas Trench
• Volcanic islands  Island Arcs
• Hawaiian Islands
• Earthquakes

81. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

82. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

83. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

84. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

85. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries

86. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #3: Continental-Continental Crusts

87. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #3: Continental-Continental Crusts
• Fold Mountains

88. 2. Destructive Plate
Boundaries
• Case #3: Continental-Continental Crusts
• Fold Mountains
• Eg. Himalayas

90. 3. Conservative Plate
Boundaries
Plates slide past each other

91. 3. Conservative Plate
Boundaries

92. 3. Conservative Plate
Boundaries

93. 3. Conservative Plate
Boundaries

94. 3. Conservative Plate
Boundaries
• Fault lines

95. 3. Conservative Plate
Boundaries
• Fault lines
• Eg. St. Andreas Fault, San Francisco

96. 3. Conservative Plate
Boundaries
• Fault lines
• Eg. St. Andreas Fault, San Francisco
• Earthquakes

97. Dynamic movements of
tectonic plates