Plate Tectonics - earth

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Plate Tectonics

Evolution of the Earth

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How do we know anything about the Earth

Interior structure

Volcanoes and hotspots

Earthquakes

Tectonic plates

Tectonic motion

Reconstruction of the Earth’s history

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Interior

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Interior

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Volcanoes

Volcanoes are the result of hot spots within the crust or mantle of the earth.

The hot, liquid rock will break through weak spots in the surface and form volcanoes or flood basalts.

Many volcanoes do not release lava, instead they spit ash and small bits of lava called lapilli.

Some eruptions are quiet with very fluid (low viscosity) lava flows while others are explosive

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Volcanoes

Quiet

lava

flows

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Volcanoes

Mt. St. Helen before the explosive eruption

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Volcanoes

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Volcanoes

Time lapse of the eruption

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Volcanoes

Mt. St. Helen after the eruption

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Volcanoes

Mt. St. Helens begins the rebuilding process

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Volcanoes

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Volcanoes

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Volcanoes

Shield

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Flood basalts

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Volcanoes

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Flood basalts

Basalt is a type of rock that is

produced from the mantle

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Volcano locations

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