Plate Motion
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gather and analyse information from secondary sources about the forces
driving plate motion
describe current hypotheses used to explain how convection currents
and subduction drive plate motion
You need to research the forces involved in plate tectonics. The following website,
from the University of Michigan, is a good place to start:
http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/tecpaper.htm#PDF.
Hypotheses used to explain the movement of tectonic plates include ridge push, slab
pull and basal shear traction. For each hypothesis:
1) How does this hypothesis explain the movement of tectonic plates?
2) What forces are involved in this hypothesis?
3) What evidence supports this hypothesis?
Based on your research you must then make an analysis – based on the information
you’ve gathered, which hypothesis is most likely to be correct? Why? Is it possible
that more than one hypothesis could be correct?