Plate tectonics theory for how Continental Drift works

Plate tectonics – theory for how Continental Drift works 200 million years 135 million years 65 million years Today

Seafloor magnetic anomalies and Plate Tectonics

The origin of seafloor magnetic anomalies reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field.

Reversals of Earth’s magnetic field Normal polarity Reversed polarity

Seafloor spreading and magnetic reversals

Dating Magnetic reversals

Sea-floor spreading

03_23. jpg Sea-floor spreading Subduction

Tectonic plates and the lithosphere

Divergent plate boundaries and mantle up-welling Convergent plate boundaries and subduction

Plate tectonics and the ocean floor

Mantle convection and Plate Tectonics

Controls on spreading and subduction Slab push and slab pull

Distribution of Mid-ocean ridges, fractures and trenches

Distribution of World’s Volcanoes

Distribution of Earthquake foci Trend from shallow to deep focus earthquakes - subduction

Distribution of earthquakes along a subduction zone

03_23. jpg Sea-floor spreading Subduction

Crustal plates

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Supercontinents Pangea 400 Ma – 180 Ma Rodinia 1100 Ma – 700 Ma

The fate of subducted slabs

Distribution of Mid-ocean ridges, fractures and trenches

Transform faults

Transform faults and plate boundaries

The San Andreas transform fault

Hot spot volcanoes

Hot spots and mantle plumes

Hot spots and mantle plumes

Interpretation of plate motion from hot spots

Rates of plate motion

Continental Rifting

The African Rift Valley

Plate tectonic summary Zoomable Art: Theory of Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonic summary