Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Pangaea

Pangaea was the supercontinent that existed about millions of years ago. The continent covered about one-third of the Earth’s surface. It consisted of all the continents which are known today. The supercontinent was formed about 300 million years ago as a result of the Earth’s tectonic plates’ movement. These plates pushed together to form the supercontinent, but the further movement of tectonic plates 100 million years ago caused the breaking of Pangaea into parts along the volcanic rift zones.

Subduction of Tectonic Plates

Subduction is the process of one plate’s moving or sliding under the other one. This process is typical for the regions of convergent boundaries. The oceanic lithosphere subducts, but the continental lithosphere does not subduct in any cases. The reason is in the fact that the oceanic lithosphere is characterized by a higher density. As a result, the older oceanic lithosphere can slide beneath the continental lithosphere when the continental lithosphere is not as dense as the oceanic lithosphere is, and it rides up causing the possible destruction of the older oceanic lithosphere.

A Convergent Plate Volcanic Belt vs. A Hot Spot Series of Volcanic Islands

Volcanoes usually form the belt along the convergent plate boundaries because of the subduction processes. The result of subduction is the older oceanic plates’ sinking to the mantle to form volcanoes as weak spots there because the magma breaks the ocean floor. As a result, the volcanic belt is created. On the contrary, a hot spot series of volcanic islands are formed not because of the subduction process, but because the Earth’s mantle has hot spots through which magma rises to the surface to form volcanoes. Thus, the volcanic mountains appear to form volcanic islands.

Transform Faults

A transform fault can be discussed as a specific fault or a boundary within the subduction zones. According to this type of fault, the tectonic plates slide past one another without destroying the lithosphere. This horizontal type of sliding is often the result of the processes observed in the subduction zones. Many transform faults are also observed in the ocean to be associated with the parallel movements of tectonic plates.

Sea-Floor Spreading

When volcanic activity is observed in oceans, the floor of the ocean begins to spread because of the impact of the volcanic energy. As a result, the oceanic crust becomes formed due to volcanic processes that are observed at mid-ocean ridges. The effects of the volcanic activity are the motions of the oceanic crust to spread from the ridge. The fractures appearing during the volcanic activity are also associated with the changes in the lithosphere and sea-floor spreading which causes the formation of the new floor of the ocean.

The Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire is the name used to determine a series of volcanoes observed in the Pacific Ocean. This string of volcanoes is a result of the significant seismic activity of these territories because this is the region where several tectonic plates form different types of boundaries such as a convergent boundary, a divergent boundary, and a transform boundary. Different tectonic plates found in the Ring of Fire can crash into each other or pull apart from each other to form subduction zones and volcanoes in the first situation and sea-floor spreading in the second situation.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, April 18). Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity. https://ivypanda.com/essays/plate-tectonics-and-volcanic-activity/

Work Cited

"Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity." IvyPanda, 18 Apr. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/plate-tectonics-and-volcanic-activity/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity'. 18 April.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity." April 18, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/plate-tectonics-and-volcanic-activity/.

1. IvyPanda. "Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity." April 18, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/plate-tectonics-and-volcanic-activity/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity." April 18, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/plate-tectonics-and-volcanic-activity/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1