Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards Proving That Plate Tectonics Theory Is Valid (40 Marks)

Although there are other volcanic events that don’t prove that the tectonic theory is valid. For example The "Ring of Fire" is an arc stretching from New Zealand, along the eastern edge of Asia, north across the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and south along the coast of North and South America. The Ring of Fire is composed over 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes. This huge ring of volcanic and seismic (earthquake) activity was noticed and described before the invention of the theory of plate tectonics theory. Also without movement at the boundaries around the Pacific, volcanoes such as Mt St Helens would simply not exist, as they would have no fuel caused by the subduction of an oceanic plate under a continental plate.

As a tectonic plate slides into the mantle, the heat releases fluids trapped in the plate. Seawater and carbon dioxide, rise into the upper plate and can partially melt the overlying crust, forming magma. And magma most likely means volcanoes are around.

In conclusion the recent conception and development of plate tectonic theory has greatly aided our understanding of the distribution of seismic events. We now understand that there is a correlation between earthquakes/volcanoes locations and their proximity to a plate boundary plates are continually moving and earthquakes and volcanoes are found along these boundaries. Exceptions to this rule such as Hawaii also help prove tectonic theory due to their unique creation. Whilst this has helped our understanding we also recognise the fact those in LEDCs with poor access to education are unaware of plate tectonic theory so they cannot understand the hazards that some countries face, nor have the means to mitigate against them thus worsening the

The volcanoes are located where there is a divergence or convergence in the tectonic plates and bring their lava from the deepest of the terrestrial mantle. The materials and explosions of these ginates represent a constant risk in the places inhabited by the human being, nevertheless the people ususually live in these areas no matter the risk. On the other hand the volcanos can change the geology of an impressive form, or to cool the temperature of the earth, or to darken the sky. The scientific community increases its efforts to try to understand better what happens in volcanoes, however it is impossible to predict these conditions.

Plate Tectonics is a scientific theory which study how the Earth’s plates are driven and shaped by geological forces to keep them in constant movement. The theory explains the present-day tectonic behavior of the Earth, particularly the global distribution of mountain building, earthquake activity, and volcanism in a series of linear belt. (Pitman, W.C., 2007)

Earthquakes form when two tectonic plates slide past each other, push against each other, or pull apart from each other.

Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that attempts to explain the movements of the Earth's lithosphere that have formed the landscape features we see across the globe today” (Briney). Geology defines “plate” as a large slab of solid rock, and “tectonics” is part of the Greek root word for “to build.” Together the words define how the Earth’s surface is built up of moving plates. The theory of plate tectonics dictates that individual plates, broken down into large and small sections of rock, form Earth’s lithosphere. These fragmented bodies of rock move along each other atop the Earth’s liquid lower mantle to create the plate boundaries that have shaped Earth’s landscape. Plate tectonics originated from meteorologist Alfred Wegener’s theory, developed in the early 20th century. In 1912, he realized that the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa appeared to piece together like a jigsaw puzzle. He further examined the globe and deduced that all of Earth’s continents could somehow be assembled together and proposed the idea that the continents had once been linked in a single supercontinent called Pangaea. To explain today’s position of the continents, Wegener theorized that they began to drift apart approximately 300 million years ago. This theory

The breaking apart of this supercontinent was due to the movement of the Earth's Tectonic Plates. Tectonic Plates are large masses of the lithosphere or outer layer of the Earth's surface. The layers included in the Lithosphere are the Crust up to the upper layer of the Mantle. The Oceanic Crust is thinner and denser than the Continental Crust and can be found underneath the ocean. It is also more active than the Continental Crust that stretches 200 km below the Earth's surface. This crust drifts and moves either horizontally or vertically causing geological phenomenons such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. The major tectonic plates are North American, Caribbean, South American, Scotia, Antarctic, Eurasian, Arabian, African, Indian, Philippine, Australian, Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, and Nazca. These plates move an estimate of 1 to 10 cm per year causing interaction at plate boundaries. When two plates are colliding or moving toward each other it is in Convergent boundaries. If these two plates are Oceanic Crusts, they are in Subduction zones wherein the denser plate in forced beneath the less dense plate and would eventually melt or destroy. On the other hand, when two plates move away from each other it is in Divergent boundaries. New crust material from molten magma formed below may fill the space between these plates or become ocean basins.

For millions of years the Earth has experienced geologic catastrophes. Since the existence of Theia itself, the Earth’s crust has been formed, deformed, and even demolished. The crust has never been a completed masterpiece due to this. Why is this? The most recent physical changes were caused by the theory of plate tectonics and earth’s crust displacement. Plate tectonics and its movement resulted in our continents drifting across the earth’s surface, and the creation of mountain belts, volcanoes, and the faults of today’s Earth.

On our home planet, there are eight major tectonic plates- African, Indo-Australian, Eurasian, Antarctic, North American, South American, Nazca and the Pacific. These plates are all separate and floats completely independently upon the Earth's mantle, which is much hotter than the crust of the planet. The locations where these plates meet each other are usually places that are extremely prone to large earthquakes and volcanic

Earthquakes does not often occur in the middle of plates, however they do happen when old faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate. These areas are weak compared to the surrounding plate, and can slip easily and cause earthquake.

Plate tectonics theory is the scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of the Earth’s lithosphere, which is broken up into tectonic plates. Volcanic landforms are undoubtedly very important in aiding our understanding of plate tectonic theory. However, there is other evidence that must be considered as well.

The seven major tectonic plates comprise mostly on continental plates and the Pacific plate. The seven major plates from greatest to least are called: the Pacific Plate stretching 103,300,000 km2, North American Plate being 75,900,000 km2, Eurasian Plate being 67,800,000 km2, African Plate stretching 61,300,000 km2, Antarctic Plate being 60,900,000 km2, Australian Plate being 47,000,000 km2, and the South American Plate being 43,600,000 km2. With different tectonic plates, there are different ways they can move: divergent, convergent, and transform. Divergent plate movement is when both plates moving away from each other, creating a canyon that has magma pushing out from the bottom, forming new ground. Convergent is usually an oceanic plate and a continental plate are moving into one another, causing the oceanic plate to subducts into the mantle. This causes move active volcanos and earthquakes. Even though all of the plates are in the lithosphere, it's only the where Earth is flexible enough to move rather than flow. The lithosphere flexes when loads of weight are placed on it or

The different tectonic plates rest on the mantle, a very hot layer of earth that is directly beneath the crust. There are seven major tectonic plates, their names are The Pacific Plate, The North American Plate, The Eurasian Plate, The African Plate, The Antarctic Plate, The Australian Plate, and The South American Plate. In addition to these major plates there are also many smaller tectonic plates that make up parts of the Earth's crust. When the boundaries between plates shift, this causes earthquakes. There are three types of movements that cause earthquakes. Divergent is when the plates move away from each other, Subduction is when one plate moves underneath another, and Transform is when the plates grind against each other. The lithosphere is another name for earth's crust and mantle, it is made up of all the tectonic

The tectonic plates are all over the earth’s surface. Over the years, these plates and their characteristics have become common knowledge. These plates move around 3cm at least every year and they move in different directions due to the convection currents of molten magma that flows beneath them. [Raunekk 2010] A convention current definition is “a current in that a fluid is that a results from convection.” [Earth’s dynamic] Then the movement of these plates are the main forces behind catastrophic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions as well as the development of mountains. In addition, this means that these plates are the main reason why our planet surface looks the way it does today. When processes such as pushing, folding and tilting (as well as other forms of tectonic movement) take place, it shapes our planet [Weather Wizkids 2015] as well as playing its part in heating it to an unbearable degree along with the aids of ocean currents. In comparison to the plates that mainly produce heat through its products the ocean current move the heat all over the earth’s surface.