Notes

techtonic plates are the earths crust and upper part of the mantle broken into large pieces.
Tectonic plates are the earth's crust and upper part of the mantle that are broken into large pieces. These are constantly moving at a few centimetres each year. Although this doesn't sound like very much, over millions of years the movement allows whole continents to shift thousands of kilometres apart. This process is called continental drift.
The plates move because of convection currents in the Earth's mantle. These are driven by the heat produced by the decay of radioactive elements and heat left over from the formation of the Earth.
Where tectonic plates meet, the Earth's crust becomes unstable as the plates push against each other, or ride under or over each other. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen at the boundaries between plates, and the crust may ‘crumple’ to form mountain ranges.

The crust is the layer you live on. It is very thin. It is made up of tectonic plates which are in constant motion.
The mantle forms about half of the earth and is made of heavy rock. It is made of materials such as iron, magnesium, aluminium and oxygen. The top of the mantle is hard, but the rock below is hot and soft, like soft plastic.

The outer core is liquid. made up of iron and nickel. It is very hot.
The inner core is the centre and is the hottest part of the earth. It is solid and made up of iron and nickel. It is extremely hot.
mantle is made up of magma and in the upper part the rock is hard, but lower down the rock is soft and is beggining to melt.
two types of crust-oceanic and continental

























construxctive lpate boundaries is were the two continental plates are moving apart by th econvection currents in the soft rock below, an dthe magma rises up and shoots past the plates. It then turns to basalt, creating as new ocean floor.
destructive plate boundaries are when the oceanic crust gets pushed down udwer at an ocean trench.
destructive plate boundaries is when the oceanic crust is heavier so it gets pushed down undwer at an ocean trwnch. The rock jolts and grinds uts way down, causing an earthquake. at the same time it heats up. Some rock melts, and gets pushed up throufh the Andes and forms a volcano.


constructive plate boundaries is when two continental plates move apart by the convection current sin the soft rock below. The magma rises up and turns to basalt, creating new ocean floor.

Destructive plate boundaries is when the oceanic crust is heavier so it gets pushed under at an ocean trench. The rock jolts and grinds its way down, causing an earthwuake. st the same time it heats up. Some rock melts, pushing up through the Andes and creating as volcano. These plates move together and sinks.

collsion plate boundaries is when the crust is pushed up and folded to create a new mountsin range. The movement of the rock cause san earthwuake, but no volcanoes as the rock does not get pushed down and melts.
conservative plate boundaries is when parts of th eplates get stuvk, then lurch free. This creates earthwuakes but no volcanoes as the rock does not get pushed down and melts. These plates move together.

1.0 to 3.4- only recorded on seismographs
only recorded on seismagraphs
like the vibraiton of a lorry going past
loose objects rock, church bells ring
onyl recorded on a seismograph
like the vibraiton of a lorry going past
loose objects rock, church bells ring


Richter scale
1.0 to 3.4- only recorded on seismographs.
3.5 to 4.2- like a vibration of a lorry going past.
4.3 to 4.8- loose objects rock, church bells ring.
4.9 to 5.4- loose objects fall, trees sway.
5.5 to 6.1- walls crack and plaster falls.
6.2 to 6.9- some buildings collapse, ground cracks and pipes break.
7.0 to 7.3- buildings destroyed, railway lines bent, landslides.
7.4 to 8.1- all pipes and cables broken, few buildings are left standing, bridges destroyed.
Over 8.2- total destruction.














Conservative plate boundaries is when parts of the plates get stuck, then lurch free. Theses plates move together. This causes earthquakes, but no rock getspushed down and melted so no volcanoes.

Destructuve plate boundaries ia when the oceanic crust is heavier so it gets pushed down under at an ocean trench. The rock jolts and grinds itsa way down, causing an reathquake. At the same time it heats up. Some rock melts, puashing up through the Andes and creating a volcano.
Destructive plate boundaries are when the oceanic crust is heavier so it gets pushed under at an ocean trench. The rock jolts and grinds its way down, causing an earthquake. At the sam etime it heats up. Some rock melts, and forces its way up throygh the Andes to form a volcano.

constructive plate boundaries are when two continental plates move apart by the convection currrents in the soft rock below. The magma rises and shoots up which turns into basalt and creates new ocean floor.

Collision plate boundaries are when the crust pushes up and folds creating a new mountain range. The movement of the rocks causes an earthwuake, but no volcanoes because the rocks get pushed down and melted.