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About how many plates are there on the Earth's surface?
There are 15 total, with nine being considered major tectonic plates.
What is it called when scientists refer to the earth being all as one large land mass before the tectonic plates shifted and parts of the earth were divided?
This was known as Pangaea.
What tectonic plates made the Jura Mountains?
The Jura Mountains are part of the same orogeny as the Alps, which are being formed by the collision between the African an Eurasian plates.
What type of tectonic plate boundary that sometimes has a subduction zone is called?
Tectonic plates that are convergent are "crashing into" each other at this collision boundary, and a subduction zone there is possible. One of the plates will "dive under" the other one. This creates uplift, "hot spots" or volcanic "risers" and instability along the boundary. The west coast of the United States is a good example. A link is provided below.
Why do continents move towards each other and away from each other?
When two continents begin to drift toward one another, its because the tectonic plate which the ocean between them lies on is being subducted beneath another tectonic plate; basically the oceanic crust (land) beneath the ocean is being pulled down underneath another piece of crust. Once all the oceanic crust has been swallowed up, there is no more ocean left between the continents and so they 'meet'. The continents don't get pulled down beneath one another though; oceanic crust is different to continental crust in that it is denser and less buoyant, so it can be pulled down. Continental crust is less dense and is too buoyant to be subducted. The surface of the Earth is covered by tectonic plates which fit together like a complete jigsaw puzzle; the continents and the land beneath the oceans are just the crust which sit on top of the tectonic plates. While some oceans are 'shrinking' because of subduction, elsewhere in the world, oceans are growing because oceanic crust is being created by lava erupting through openings in the sea floor, which then cools, and sets to form solid crust.
How far apart are tectonic plates moving?
The tectonic plates move at about the same speed your finger nails grow. The gap the plates create when they move apart is constantly being closed up by magma moving up from the mantle.
What stress occurs when two tectonic plates collide?
When two tectonic plates collide, it is called compressional stress at convergent boundaries. Rocks and plates usually have stronger compressional strength than tensional strength (which would happen at divergent boundaries). This means the higher the likelihood of developing mountains for continent-continent convergence or being subducted for oceanic-oceanic/oceanic-continental boundaries.
About how many plates are there on the Earth's surface?
There are 15 total, with nine being considered major tectonic plates.
What is it called when scientists refer to the earth being all as one large land mass before the tectonic plates shifted and parts of the earth were divided?
This was known as Pangaea.
The boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other?
At a divergent plate boundary new crust is created as two or more plates pull away from each other. An example of a rift where land between two continents are being pulled apart is the Great Rift Valley.
How were the tectonic plates formed?
Tectonic plates are formed when a new crust is created ,it forms what looks like giant plates. One side of the plate is where new crust is being made, while the other side is where older crust is being destroyed.These plates only move from 5-10 cm a year.
What tectonic plates made the Jura Mountains?
The Jura Mountains are part of the same orogeny as the Alps, which are being formed by the collision between the African an Eurasian plates.
Countries located near or on the tectonic plates?
All countries are located on tectonic plates - in fact the world is entirely covered with tectonic plates! Where different plates interact with each other the results can affect the countries locally. Where plates push together you can get volcanoes and earthquakes (an example is Japan.) Where plates pull apart there is usually lots of ocean but you can get some calm volcanism, (an example being Iceland.) Where plates rub past one another there can be earthquakes. An example would be the west coast of the USA and the San Andreas Fault.)
What type of tectonic plate boundary that sometimes has a subduction zone is called?
Tectonic plates that are convergent are "crashing into" each other at this collision boundary, and a subduction zone there is possible. One of the plates will "dive under" the other one. This creates uplift, "hot spots" or volcanic "risers" and instability along the boundary. The west coast of the United States is a good example. A link is provided below.
Does Saturn have earthqakes?
Earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates (the plates that make up the crust of the earth). Saturn, being comprised of solely gas, can therefore have no earthquakes.
Write one to two paragraphs explaining how plate tectonics and/or continental drift is relevant to the research?
Note that this response is an example of how you should integrate the answer in a real essay How are tectonic plates even relevant to the research being conducted anyhow? The Alaskan-Aluetian subduction zone itself has two tectonic plates between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate, the Pacific Plate is being subducted underneath the North American plate. This type of collision with these two plates is called a convergent boundary, whereas the two plates collide, and one plate is overridden by the other.
Do tectonic plates only move by sliding past one another?
No. Subduction involves one plate being pushed under another.
