Plate tectonics has puzzled scientists and geologists for long. More baffling is the drive mechanism of the plates. Is it the convection currents that drive the plates? How is heat generation varies at times?
Plate tectonics is the story of the rollicking mountain building, devastating volcanism, and destructive earthquakes, expanding Atlantic and diminishing Pacific. It tells us how mountains were built, how earthquakes and volcanoes happen and how Atlantic Ocean is widening while Pacific Ocean is narrowing. You must be perplexed how it all happens. Our earth is divided into several plates, 6 of which are large, rest all are smaller in size. These plates move with the help of convection currents due to differential heating of the earth because of the earth being a blend of solid and liquid matter.
The motion of the plates gives birth to earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains and other relief features on earth’s surface. A new revelation states that small sized plates release more heat than larger ones and that heat flow from the mantle of the earth was much more than earlier recorded. As sea floor spreads, the movement of the plates either converging or diverging triggers heat flow. The heat released from beneath the earth in turn increases the temperature outside, supporting warming of the environment.
Our earth’s interior is a whole lot of complications. A clear understanding of the earth is not possible as it is very difficult to permeate and explore the earth because of extremely high temperature inside that increases with increasing depth. However, as science progresses, with better technology and research earth’s interior will no longer remain a gray area for us.
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Via: News Wise
