Plate Tectonics
What scientists know about the Earth’s structure and history have changed quite a bit in just the past hundred years. The relatively new ideas about the structure of Earth’s interior and the movement of the continents began to develop when geologists wondered about the forces behind earthquake and volcanic activity. Scientists believe that Earth’s lithosphere is divided into several plates that move on top of the plastic asthenosphere. As the plates move, the arrangements of Earth’s landmasses also move and change. Mountains and island chains form as plates collide and new seafloor forms in the space where two plates pull apart. Earthquakes and volcanoes are common occurrences at plate boundaries. This process is based in the Theory of Plate Tectonics and it has been occurring on Earth for billions of years.
Major Events in the History of Plate Tectonics Theory
Like most scientific theories, the Theory of Plate Tectonics did not come about overnight, or even over one decade. It was a discovery many centuries in the making. In this interactivity, click on each of the events in the timeline to learn more about the history of Plate Tectonics Theory. Click the player button to begin.
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Alfred Wegener played an important role in Plate Tectonics Theory. View the video Plate Tectonics: The Scientist Behind the Theory from eMediaVA℠ to learn more about this groundbreaking scientist. This video explains how Wegener proposed his theory, what it entailed, and the criticism he faced.
Plate Tectonics - The Basics
The interaction of Earth’s plates creates the many of the landforms that shape the surface of the planet. The plates can interact in three different ways. These plates can converge, diverge, or slide past each other. View this presentation to learn about the different plate interactions and learn about the plates of the world. Click the player button to begin.
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Evidence Supporting Plate Tectonics Theory
There are several pieces of evidence that support Plate Tectonics Theory, including the puzzle fit of the continents, the discovery of similar fossils on separate continents, and the age of rocks at mid-ocean ridges. In this interactivity, click on each of the checkboxes on the clipboard to learn more. Click the player button to begin.
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Plates of the World
Many large plates and several smaller plates comprise the Earth’s crust. How do these plates interact with bordering plates? Review each of the world’s plates and the landforms that they create in this activity. Roll your cursor over each of the plates to view the outlines, and then click on each plate to learn more about its landforms and its interactions with surrounding plates. Make sure to view the information for all of the plates. Click the player button to begin.
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Plate Tectonics Review
Now that you have investigated Plate Tectonics Theory, complete this activity to review your knowledge. In this non-graded activity, read each question and select the appropriate answer. Click the player button to get started.