A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

What has the study of plate tectonics taught us?

Best Answers

Primarily, it has explained the root causes of both earthquake and volcanic activity, and an explanation of why some bits of the Earth appear to fit together, and each side seems to contain geological links. read more

Plate tectonics is the theory of how the outer crust of the Earth is composed of dozens of fragments or plates which constantly interact with each other by moving around via convection. read more

Plate tectonics is the unifying theory of geology, said Nicholas van der Elst, a seismologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York."Before plate tectonics, people had to come up with explanations of the geologic features in their region that were unique to that particular region," Van der Elst said. read more

If the question is being asked in the context of a student considering the study of geology, then the quick answer would be that plate tectonics provides the basic framework on which the rest of geology hangs. read more

Plate tectonics (from the Late Latin tectonicus, from the Greek: τεκτονικός"pertaining to building") is a scientific theory describing the large-scale motion of seven large plates and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of the Earth's lithosphere, since tectonic processes began on Earth between 3 and 3.5 billion years ago. read more

Encyclopedia Research