Plate Tectonics Essay

Plate tectonics is a theory that was developed to explain the peculiarities Earth’s landscape. According to it, there is a number of large plates that glide independently over the Earth’s mantle, colliding and drifting apart. The mantle is perceived as the static inner layer of our planet, while the plates represent the outer layer that is constantly moving. It is worth pointing out that the theory of plate tectonics should be seen as the improvement of a theory that was developed previously – the continental drift. Clearly, both are revolutionary since they explain the changes in the landscape and can predict future of lithosphere.

Since the plates are constantly moving, there must be a serious energy source that affects them. There are three major reasons that are identified by the scholars. They are convection of the material that takes place in the mantle, gravitational forces, and rotation of the planet. Clearly, the second and the third are somewhat less important and have an indirect impact. It is suggested that partial melting of magma from the mantle creates rifts that move the plates apart (McKnight & Hess, p. 400). Therefore, it is the fluctuations of magma that are to be seen as the major energy source.

Finally, it may be beneficial to examine the connection between the movement of the plates and volcanism. According to Rafferty when two plates collide, one of them will eventually go under in what is known as subduction (187). This will result is magma piling on the Earth’s surface and creating something that will become a volcano later. When the two plate drifts apart, magma goes down which creates a hole in the above-mentioned structure. When the plates collide again, magma bursts out of that hole, resulting in a fully functioning volcano. That is why volcanism may be seen as a consequence of plate movement.


Works Cited

McKnight, Tom L., and Darrel Hess. Physical geography: a landscape appreciation. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2002. Print.

Rafferty, John P. Plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes. New York, NY: Britannica Educational Pub., 2010. Print.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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