Tectonic Plates and its Effects on the Physical Face of the Earth Essay

Tectonic Plates and its Effects on the Physical front of the Earth For millions of years, tectonic bases have been determinate of changes in the physical buttock of the humanity, and they continue to do so today. These massive plates move downstairsneath the originates of the oceans and the continents, producing earthquakes, volcanoes and uplifts. This newsprint willing discuss the composition, movement and history of tectonic plates, the theory of plate tectonics and its history, and tectonic plates affect the surface of the earth today and will continue to do so in the future.The earth is divided into terzetto main layers the core, the mantle and the crust. The core is further divided into the solid knowledgeable core and the liquid outer core. This layer is mostly iron and atomic number 28 and is extremely hot. The mantle is divided into the overturn and upper mantle and is composed mostly of iron, magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. The outermost layer, which contains al l life on earth, is the crust. This layer is blue in oxygen and silicon as well as aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium. It is in between the crust and the mantle that we find tectonic plates. The outermost layers of the earth ar divided into two categories based on their physical properties. The asthenosphere is the lower of these categories, composed of clastic or flowing mantle. The upper layer is know as the geosphere and contains both the top, rigid layer of the mantle and the crust. The lithosphere is what selects up the tectonic plates. The composition of these plates is based on their location. Plates under the surface of the ocean are made of mostly of basalt, time continental plates are comprised of rocks such as andesite and granite.It is generally believed that in that respect are 12 plates that make up the earths surface. The majority of these plates are a faction of oceanic and continental lithosphere, while the Nazca, peaceable and Juan de Fuca Plates are made up of mostly oceanic lithosphere. Most of the continents have their own plate or plates, with the exception of Europe and Asia, which share the massive Eurasian Plate. Along the edges of these plates there is a large occurrence of geologic activity. Earthquakes and volcanoes, evidence of unrest in the Earth, help locate the edges of plates. This unrest is caused by movement of the plates, which can be broken down into three general t... ... of fire in the Pacific Ocean. This is the boundary between the Pacific plate and several other plates. Also, the San Andreas Fault, in California, which is situated on the boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates, sees a large amount of earthquake activity. Another dangerous forcefulness of plate movement which is common in the Asian Pacific is the Tsunami, a huge ocean wave created by earthquakes and plate movements deep under the oceans surface. While these events can all be seen as natural disasters, the b enefits tectonic plates have to offer the human race are plentiful. Volcanoes produce some of the most fertile soil on earth, while magma that does not erupt from a volcano often forms huge ore deposits at a lower place the surface. A relatively young science is that of geothermal energy, or the harnessing of come alive or pressure from volcanoes, geysers and steam which can be converted into modify and electricity for human use. While it is important to acknowledge the immediate and dim ramifications of plate tectonics, such as volcanoes and earthquakes, it is equally as imperative that human race recognize the huge potential for advancement provided by this natural occurrence.