Seafloor Spreading and Plate Tectonics (Part 2)
Geophysicist and geologist Tanya Atwater talks about the Deep Sea Drilling Project and the confirmation of magnetic reversals that provided strong evidence of seafloor spreading and plate tectonics.
Plate Tectonics and Earthquake Distribution
Geophysicist and geologist Tanya Atwater talks about the correlation between plate boundaries and earthquake distribution.
Plate Tectonics and Heat
Geophysicist and geologist Tanya Atwater talks about plate tectonics as a mechanism by which Earth's interior sheds the tremendous heat that builds up as a result of radioactive decay.
Making the Pieces Fit: Seafloor Spreading
Alfred Wegener's hypothesis was rejected by many who felt it lacked a credible mechanism which could explain the continental movement hypothesized by Wegener. The notion of seafloor spreading, which suggested that new seafloor develops at oceanic ri...
Look Out Below: Tsunami and Tectonic Events
Tsunami are usually the product of a tectonic event, such as an earthquake. They most commonly take place in the Pacific Rim region, because of the relatively higher frequency of large, shallow earthquakes in this area.
Seafloor Spreading and Plate Tectonics (Part 1)
Geophysicist and geologist Tanya Atwater talks about the role of seafloor spreading and spreading centers in the plate tectonics process.
Over the Edge: Oceanic Ridge System, The
Perhaps the most striking feature that characterizes the deep ocean floor is the vast oceanic ridge system that encircles the Earth along tectonic plate boundaries.
Making the Pieces Fit: Birth of a Theory: Plate Tectonics
Canadian geophysicist John Tuzo Wilson argued that Earth's outer layer consists of about a dozen separate plates, which float on the partially melted asthenosphere below them. His ideas paved the way for the integration of seafloor spreading and con...
World in Motion: Earth's Tectonic Past and Future
Scientists attempt to reconstruct Earth's history so as to better understand the current state of geologic affairs, including those forces that cause plate movement.
World in Motion: Heat, Convection and Plate Tectonics
Most scientists believe heat and convection probably play a major role in plate tectonics. And, yet, many questions remain.