Edible Plate Tectonics

Special thanks to Dr. Bob Lillie of the OSU Department of Geosciences who normally does this presentation as a guest lecture.

TECTONICS:

From the Greek “tecton” (builder/ architect)The study of large features on Earth’s surface

and the processes that formed them.

Mt Jefferson, Cascade Range, Oregon

PLATE TECTONICS:

Large features:continentsocean basinsmountain ranges

and processes:earthquakesvolcanic eruptions

due to movement of plates of Earth’s outer shell.

Cracked Egg Shell!

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

Divergent Plate Boundary

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

DIVERGENT Plate Boundary:Seafloor Spreading

DIVERGENT Plate Boundary:Seafloor Spreading

DIVERGENT Plate Boundary:Seafloor Spreading

Seafloor Spreading & Plate Tectonics

• New ocean basins form from volcanism• Ocean floor forms IN BETWEEN pieces

that have split

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Tectonics/tectonics_3.html

Convergent Plate Boundary

CONVERGENT Plate Boundary

Sediment and Basalt Scraped off Subducting Plate

Coastal Mountain Range

Plate Sweats

Composite Volcanoes

Transform Plate Boundary

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

North American

Plate

Pacific

Plate

2 inches/yearx 100 years

= 200 inches= 17 feet!

North American Plate

Pacific Plate

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

Hot Spot

≈ 14,000 feetMauna Kea

≈ 14,000 feetMauna Loa

14,000 feet abovesea level

TALLER THAN MOUNT EVEREST!

18,000 ft below sea

level

Divergent Plate Boundary:Seafloor Spreading

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

Convergent Plate Boundary:

Subduction

Transform Plate Boundary:Transform (Strike-Slip)

Faulting

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

Parks and Plates©2002 Robert J. Lillie

Hot Spot:Plate Interior