5.1: Introduction to Plate Tectonics
- Page ID
- 12791
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Learning Objectives
This chapter has several goals and objectives:
- Compare and describe each of these Earth layers: lithosphere, oceanic crust, and continental crust.
- Describe how convection takes place in the mantle and compare the two parts of the core and describe why they are different from each other.
- Explain the concepts of the following hypothesis: continental drift hypothesis, seafloor spreading hypothesis, and the theory of plate tectonics.
- Describe the three types of tectonic plate and how the processes lead to changes in Earth’s surface features.
Essential Questions
- What is the driving force of plate tectonics and how does this impact earthquakes and volcanoes around the world?
- How does the theory of plate tectonics help explain the different types of earthquakes and volcanoes around the planet?
CC licensed content, Shared previously
- Dynamic Earth: Introduction to Physical Geography. Authored by: R. Adam Dastrup. Located at: http://www.opengeography.org/physical-geography.html. Project: Open Geography Education. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike