Plate Tectonics

Paper Summary:

This paper help explains how Plate Tectonics has caused changes in continental landmasses through geological occurrences. It presents the main controversy in the Plate tectonic theory - whether the movement of the plates has displaced landmass across the continents or not and whether it is the sole reason for the change of the landmass or it is through atmospheric influence.

From the Paper:

"Thousands of years ago the earth's surface has been hypothesized as one big landmass. The Earth's surface has been constant motion. "Fragmented into giant sheets of solid rock that glide atop a layer of hotter, more pliable material, the globe's appearance is forever changing." [Cowen, 1999] . These plates are semi rigid, floated on flow of mantle. The plates measured around 50 miles, thickness of 25 miles on land and 4 miles thick under the oceans. Their movement was categorized by an average of a few inches a year. Even today, geologists and tectonicists hypothesize the earth to continue this movement in similar slow manner, even if we do not notice it. The plates' movement is called the Plate Tectonic Theory, a theory presented in 1912 but upheld in 1960 . "

More papers on Plate Tectonics:

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• Essay # 66822 : "Plate Tectonics, Fault Lines and Fault Line Movement "

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