When continents collide national geographic society. Mendocino is a transform pacificnorth america boundary, rather than a convergent farallonnorth america boundary atwater, 1970. Revised tectonic boundaries in the cocos plate off costa rica. The earth has 7 major plates africa, antarctica, australia, eurasia, north america. Plates move apart at divergent plate boundaries such as the oceanic ridge system that separates the north american and. Types of plate boundaries map identification activity. Tectonic evolution of south america during the late proterozoic. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the earths lithosphere is broken into distinct plates which are. The tectonics of north america a discussion to accompany the.
The south american plate is the smallest of all major plates that includes the continent of south america and a large portion of the atlantic ocean. Tectonic plates are gigantic segments or pieces of the earths crust and uppermost mantle that together constitute the lithosphere. Geology, structuralnorth america maps north america tectonic map united states tectonic map canada tectonic map mexico tectonic map scale. On a larger scale, the midatlantic spreading ridge is pushing the landmasses of africa and eurasia away from north and south america. Free printable tectonic plates map tectonic plates map. The boundary between the north america plate and the eurasian plate is an example of a divergent boundary at. Central to the theory of plate tectonics is the concept of internal rigidity of tectonic plates together with eulers theo rem, which allows us to model the relative motion of plates.
Pdf pacificnorth america plate tectonics of the neogene. Dec 17, 2019 plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated. The south american plate is a major plate that includes the continent of south america and a large portion of the atlantic ocean. Our understanding of past movements is summarized on tectonic maps, such as this tectonic map of texas. If you are teaching about earthquake preparedness, tsunami ready, and the earth plates motion, this free printable can be of great help to make teaching easier. This change in the configuration of the plate boundary is both relatively simple and profound, making southwestern north america an ideal laboratory for investigating how continental lithosphere. Lightly shade in each tectonic lithospheric plate with a different color if possible. At the west side of south america, it experiences devastating earthquakes due to the convergent plate tectonic boundaries. Plate tectonics, theory dealing with the dynamics of earths outer shell that revolutionized earth sciences by providing a uniform context for understanding mountainbuilding processes, volcanoes, and earthquakes as well as the evolution of earths surface and reconstructing its past continents and oceans. This complexity should be reflected by the distributional patterns of the biota. And, locations where plates are sliding past one another are shown in orange.
Most of the plates are composed of continental and oceanic lithosphere. The earth has 7 major plates africa, antarctica, australia, eurasia, north america, south america and pacifica and several minor ones adria, arabia, caribbean, nazca, philippines and others. Lightly shade in each tectoniclithospheric plate with a different color if possible. More plate tectonics maps here are two plate tectonics maps which show more detail than the maps above. One of the most famous transform boundaries is the san andreas fault in california. Using a world map, identify two locations where mountain ranges exist and where you hypothesize plate collisions between continents or parts of continents have occurred. Plate tectonics reveals that the lithosphere is divided into eight major pieces plates with several smaller plates fig. Types of plate boundaries map identification directions b 1. Closely spaced earthquakes with a range of depths that deepen i. Plate convergence vectors referenced from united states geological survey. Maps the map on the next page is offered in several formats for classroom use.
The segment highlights what they are, how they move, and what can happen when plates come together. Since the development of the theory, geologists have had to reexamine almost every aspect of. It is made up of thick, interconnecting pieces called tectonic plates that fit together like a puzzle. Plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated.
There are a few handfuls of major plates and dozens of smaller, or minor, plates. The plates move seemingly independently, which indicates that the system is dynamic, i. Distribution map of tectonic units in africa plate. Geology, structuralnorth americamaps north america tectonic map united states tectonic map canada tectonic map mexico tectonic map scale. Sometimes when two plates collide, the landmasses continents within the plates are pushed together and a mountain range can form. The earths crust is divided into plates which are moved in various directions.
Superimposed in red are the more than 400 national park system sites. The theory of plate tectonics links earths internal processes to the distribution of continents and oceans. Implications of plate tectonics for the cenozoic tectonic evolution of western north america, geological society of america bulletin, v. Just download it, open it in a program that can display pdf files, and print. Tectonic plates moving can cause tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes the red sea was formed where the african and arabian plates pulled apart. Use the table below and the map key on the types of plate boundaries map to draw the correct symbols identifying each type of plate boundary. In this lab we are going to explore the nature of earths tectonic plates by using a new webbased mapping tool called the jules verne voyager, jr. Detailed map showing the tectonic plates with their movement vectors.
Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. Tectonic plates are of two types, namely oceanic crust and continental crust that differ in composition. The plates that compose earths surface move horizontally and vertically relative to each other, at a rate of as much as a few centimeters per year. Tectonic map of texas bureau of economic geology the.
Well use this historic clash of continents to highlight the crucial role plate tectonics play in the earths history. Six of the majors are named for the continents embedded within them, such as the north american, african, and. An animated tectonic reconstruction of southwestern north. Can you find an example of each type of tectonic plate boundary on the map. The south american plate and the nazca plate, the western pacific. Tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon distribution of basins in. In 1967, mckenzie and parker suggested the theory of plate tectonics. The south american plate is the smallest major plate.
Free printable tectonic plates map, great free printable for the earthquake training or geography classroom. A major geological system is the tectonic system that involves the movement of lithospheric plates. A plate tectonic puzzle introduction the earths crust is not a solid shell. For a complete map of tectonic plate boundaries and their velocities of activity, as well as of seafloor age, follow this link. Generally, the depth of an earthquake is related to the type of tectonic boundary in which it occurs. Locations where plates collide convergent boundaries are shown in red. The theory of plate tectonics grew out of earlier hypotheses and observations collected during exploration of the rocks of the ocean floor. King abstract the tectonic map of north america, on a scale of 1. This plate motion causes them to collide, pull apart, or scrape. A map of the tectonic plates of the earth showing the different boundary types in different colors. Convergent colliding boundaries are shown as a black line with teeth, divergent spreading boundaries as solid red lines, and transform sliding alongside boundaries as solid black lines. With an area of 76 million km 2 29 million sq mi, it is the earths second largest tectonic plate, behind the pacific plate which borders the plate to the west.
However, its tectonic history is related to convergence with other plates, which has promoted a complex topography. Geological survey map of tectonic plates show 21 of the major plates, as well as their movements and boundaries. Locations where plates are spreading divergent boundaries are shown in yellow. The theory has caused a revolution in the way we think about the earth. Since not everyone has access to a largeformat printer we offer the poster as a 3page, tabloidsize pdf file that can be printed and taped together.
Tectonic map of south america tentative outline for background colors cenozoic yellow, with two tones ks lighter green jk darker green pz2 lighter brown pz1 darker brown, magenta n2 lighter blue n1 darker blue m2 lighter orange m1 darker orange p3 lighter pink p2 darker pink p1 red a2 violet. You will recall from a previous chapter that there are three. The structure of the earth, plate tectonics and landforms. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the earth move and deform. Convergence data are shown by arrows describing direction and speed, relative to the plate across the boundary.
Plate tectonics describes the distribution and motion of the plates. Plate tectonics information and facts national geographic. Tectonic map of north america illinois state geological. You can pay using your paypal account or credit card. The north american plate is a tectonic plate covering most of north america, greenland, cuba, the bahamas, extreme northeastern asia, and parts of iceland and the azores. Map showing tracks of arbitrary reference points assumed to move with. Join carlos jaramillo on an archeological dig in panama as he excavates the threemillionyearold meeting place of the north and south american plates. New data our study is based on magnetic data from the cruises so76. Tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon distribution of basins in africa. As they move only inches every year, and depending on the direction of that movement, they collide, forming deep ocean trenches, mountains, volcanoes, and generating earthquakes.
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