ERTH 2415 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Plate Tectonics, Formation And Evolution Of The Solar System, Oceanic Crust
11 Jul 2017
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Document Summary
Plate tectonics: tuzi wilson(1908-1993) the father of plate tectonics , canadian geophysicist, visionary scientist and educator. The theory of plate tectonics is central to understanding natural disasters related to the earth"s internal energy. Earthquakes and volcanoes do not occur at random locations. Accretion stages: accretion into miniature planets (diameter<1km, collisions between miniature planets form a few large planets. Lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary at a depth of ~ 100km. Tectonic- related to the deformation forces acting on the earth"s surface. In ancient greece, a builder was called a tekton A tectonic cycle is an episode of large-scale deformation of the earth"s surface: one cycle 250 ma. Rigid lithospheric plates slide over the plastic asthenosphere: lithosphere- continental and oceanic crust, and rigid upper mantle. Outer layer of the earth whose thickness varies: asthenosphere- plastic upper mantle. Convection in the asthenosphere and mesosphere sets plates into motion.
