Chapter 12 – The Lithosphere and Plate Tectonics
This Dynamic Earth - The Story of Plate Tectonics. A thorough introduction to the
discovery and theories of plate tectonics.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/dynamic.html
The Interior of the Earth (USGS). A brief introduction to the structure of the Earth and
related processes.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/interior/
PaleoMap Project. An extensive on-going research project that is accurately
reconstructing the shape and positions of the continents through geologic time.
http://www.scotese.com/
Plate Motion Calculator. A useful tool to calculated the speed with which the plates are
moving.
http://www.unavco.ucar.edu/~chuckm/nnrcalc.html
NASA Pangaea Interactive Map Game. A simple game to label the continents evident in
Pangaea.
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/pangaea/Pangaea_game.html
Dive and Discover – Expeditions to the Sea Floor. A well illustrated introduction to
tectonic landforms and features on the ocean floor.
http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/
Descent to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A detailed description of the Mid-Atlantic ridge
developed from modern submarine technologies.
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/mar/
Stories written in stone on-line – Plate Tectonics Gallery at the Smithsonian National
Museum of Natural History
http://www.bsu.edu/teachers/academy/stone/gallery-c.html
Land and Sea Topgraphy – satellite derived full-color images of relief on land and in the
ocean basins
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/2minrelief.html
Exploring the Ocean Basins with satellite altimeter data.
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/bathymetry/predicted/explore.HTML
Geological Time Machine. A detailed description of each geologic time period with
reference to environmental conditions and the biosphere.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.html
Comprehending Geologic Time Calculator. It’s difficult to envisage the long periods of
time associated with the geologic time scale. This calculator allows you to compress it
into something more familiar and manageable such as a calendar year.
http://www.athro.com/geo/timecalc.html
Timelines at the American Museum of Natural History. A useful exhibition of different
types of fossils associated with different geologic time periods.
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/Fossil_Halls/Timelines/index.html
Structural Geology Images including folds and faults – from the Department of Geology
at Rutgers
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~geolweb/slides.html
Physical Geography Crustal Deformation. A lecture focusing on the nature of crustal
deformation.
http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/202SLIDE/STRUSLID.HTM