Plate Tectonics

This introductory course explains how continental drift developed into the theory of plate tectonics. It examines evidence for plate movement, the three types of plate boundaries, subduction, seafloor spreading, magnetic recording, and the forces that drive plates.

Syllabus

Continental Drift: An Idea Before Its Time
Pangaea 200 Million Years Ago
Similar Fossils on Different Continents
Continental Drift: Supporting Evidence
The Great Debate
The Theory of Plate Tectonics
Earth's Lithospheric Plates
Three Types of Plate Boundaries
Divergent Plate Boundary
Mid-ocean ridge system
Iceland: Mid-ocean ridge
Divergent Plate Boundaries
Continental Rifting
Convergent Plate Boundaries & Subduction
Oceanic-Continental Convergence
Continent-Continent Convergence
Plate Boundaries • Transform fault boundaries - Plates slide past one another
Changing Plate Boundaries
Deep-Sea Drilling
Hot Spots and Hot Spot Tracks
Testing the Plate Tectonics Model
Polar wandering paths for Eurasia and North America
Magnetic Reversals and Seafloor Spreading
Ocean Floor as a Magnetic Recorder
Heat Flow on the Sea Floor
How Is Plate Motion Measured?
What Drives Plate Motions?
Forces Driving Plate Motions
Forces Acting on Plates
Whole-Mantle Convection
Layer Cake Model