Geology 11 Mendoza Handout 13: Plate Tectonics 1st sem.

AY 14-15

Continental Drift Theory

- Introduced by Alfred L. Wegener in his book “The Origin of Continents and Oceans” in 1915
- 200 mya, all the continents were joined into a supercontinent (Pangaea) and started to drift apart (first into
Laurasia and Gondwana) until their present position today

Evidence for continental drift:

1. fit of the continents (especially when joined at the continental shelf)
2. fossils (Mesosaurus, Lystrosaurus, Cynognathus, Glossopteris)
3. rock type (rocks found in one continent closely match those rocks found in the matching continent); structures
and mountain belts
4. paleoclimate (layers of glacial deposits found in S. Africa and S. America, India and Australia and there are coal
deposits in Antarctica. Why? Ans. Antarctica must have been situated closer to the equator, in a more temperate
climate where lush, swampy vegetation could grow)

Sea Floor Spreading - process in which the ocean floor is extended when two plates move apart in mid-oceanic
ridges (Rocks are older farther from the center of spreading since new materials are being formed along them)
If new crust is being created along mid-oceanic ridges, does this mean that the Earth is expanding? (Recall Wilson
Cycle)
Thicker materials away from ridge, thinner at the spreading center.
Wilson cycle- new materials created on MOR pushing old materials away making oceanic crust subduct and be
destroyed in subducting zones.

Paleomagnetism
Magnetic minerals in rocks align themselves in the direction of the existing magnetic field at the time they were
formed. If Rocks are formed at the same time - record of magnetic field should be the same

Evidence for continental drift:

rocks of the same age at different places point to different locations of magnetic north;
rocks of different ages in the same place shows that the magnetic north have moved through time (apparent polar
wandering); It would make more sense if the magnetic north did not move but rather, the continents have moved!
Geomagnetic reversals - shifting of poles overtime (every 0.1-1My)

The concepts of continental drift, sea floor spreading and paleomagnetism gave rise to the plate tectonics concept
Plate Tectonics
Unifying theory of geology
-All geological features and processes are related
- Concepts were drawn together in 1968
-Lithosphere is made up moderately rigid plates (may consist of oceanic or continental lithosphere)
- 7 major plates (N America, S America, Antarctica, Eurasia, Africa, Australia, Pacific)

1 Mendoza, J.A.
Geology 11 Mendoza Handout 13: Plate Tectonics 1st sem. AY 14-15

Plate boundaries
1. convergent – plates move toward each other; subduction zones and
orogenesis
oceanic-continental (volcanic arc) i.e. Cascades, N. America
continental-continental (mountain range) (orogenesis - mountain
building) i.e. Himalayas
oceanic-oceanic (island arc) i.e. Philippines
2. divergent – plates move away from each other (mid-oceanic ridge vs. rift)
i.e. Mid-Atlantic Ridge bet. (N.America and Eurasia), Iceland Rift, Red Sea Rift
and East African Rift.
3. transform – plates slide past each other (strike-slip faults)
*Plate boundaries are locations of volcanism and earthquakes (Why do you
think so?)

What causes the plates to move? (Read on

this!!!)
Convection currents
(one layer and two layers)
Slab pull (due to sinking of cold magma)-
subduction zones
ridge push (due to rising of hot magma) -
divergent boundaries
Mantle plumes causing hotspots

Additional evidence for plate tectonics:

- hotspots (i.e. Emperor Seamount Chain) due to mantle plumes and Global Positioning System (GPS)

Philippine Tectonics (where are these features located?)

Plates – Sundalan/Eurasia Plate; Philippine Sea Plate
(where is the Palawan Microcontinental Block?)
Trenches – Manila, Negros, Sulu, Cotabato; East Luzon
Trough (shallower, shorter, narrower, and topographically
gentler than oceanic trenches due to a wide variety of
geological mechanisms - activity, angle of subduction, etc.)
, Philippine Trench
Philippine Fault (left lateral fault), Sibuyan Fault, Legaspi
Lineament
Sea – South China Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes, Philippine Sea

2 Mendoza, J.A.
Geology 11 Mendoza Handout 13: Plate Tectonics 1st sem. AY 14-15

3 Mendoza, J.A.