Cribsheet #11: Plate Tectonics
September 10, 2007
Scientific issues and innovations are figuring into everyday conversation more than ever before. Recognizing that we could all use some brushing up, Seed offers its Cribsheet.
11
Plate Tectonics
The theory of plate tectonics posits that the Earth's surface is profoundly altered by rigid slabs of rock called "plates" sliding across a hotter, deeper layer. This Cribsheet covers the basics of plate tectonics: why plates move, what causes earthquakes and volcanoes, and how oceanic trenches form. In addition, we tell you how old the oceanic crust is in different parts of the world and why knowledge of plate tectonics will help us accommodate a growing global population.
Download the Crib Sheet
Illustrator: Cybu Richli — www.cybu.ch; Writer: Lee Billings; Map data adapted from NOAA and USGS; Consultant: William B. F. Ryan, Doherty Senior Scholar, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
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