PLATE TECTONICS : THE NEW PARADIGM
1. What is meant by the term “PLATES”> Lithospheric Break-up
2. How many Major Plates are there (7) : Know the names
3. How many “Intermediate Plates” are there (about 8; NAZCA; COCOS;
CARIBBEAN & JUAN De FUQUA in our own Backyard)
4. About a dozen “Smaller” plates are there
5. How are “plates” recognized without doing specific mapping
6. How many “Plate Boundaries” are there [List them] and briefly explain what happens
at these 3 boundaries [Tectonic Features; Earthquake Activity; Direction of
Movement; Volcanic Activity & Examples]
7. DIVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY [Oceanic vs Continental]
8. CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY
a. Ocean-Continent Convergence [O-C]> Subduction Zone
b. Ocean- Ocean Convergence [O-O]> Subduction>
c. Continent – Continent [C-C]> Collision Zone
9. TRANSFORM FAULT BOUNDARY [Oceanic vs Continental]
10. Age of Rocks & Sediments along Oceanic Crust [Glomar Challenger]
11. HOT SPOTS & MANTLE PLUMES [Hawaii & Yellowstone]
12. Measurement of Plate Motions using Age of Sea Floor Rocks and Distance
Travelled> Class Activity
13. What “drives” the Plates >several views 1. Whole Mantle Convection; 2. Ridge Push;
Slab Pull
14. No 1 from above is the “preferred model” at this time called as the “Whole Mantle
Convection”
15. Importance of Plate Tectonics Theory [Read & Review & Understand]
Other Important Names
1. Edwards Suess 3. Arthur Holmes 5. Robert Dietz 7. J. Tuzo Wilson
2. Alfred Wegner 4. Harry Hess 6. Vines & Mathews