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How does plate tectonics affect the atmosphere?
The movement of the plates also causes volcanoes and mountains to form and these can also contribute to a change in climate. Large mountain chains can influence the circulation of air around the globe, and consequently influence the climate. For example, warm air may be deflected to cooler regions by mountains.
What might be some ways tectonic plates move?
The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another; divergent, where plates move apart; and transform, where plates move sideways in relation to each other. They move at a rate of one to two inches (three to five centimeters) per year.
What causes tectonic plates to move and cause earthquakes?
Tectonic plates are constantly moving slowly, but sometimes friction between them causes them lock together and become unable to move. This movement causes a tectonic earthquake. The waves of released energy move through the Earth’s crust and cause the shaking we feel at an earthquake site.
How does the movement of tectonic plates cause volcanic activity?
On land, volcanoes form when one tectonic plate moves under another. Usually a thin, heavy oceanic plate subducts, or moves under, a thicker continental plate. When enough magma builds up in the magma chamber, it forces its way up to the surface and erupts, often causing volcanic eruptions.
How does plate tectonics affect glaciation?
The findings suggest that sediment lubrication controls the rate at which Earth’s crust grinds and churns. Sobolev and Brown found that two major periods of worldwide glaciation, which resulted in massive deposits of glacier-scrubbed sediment, each likely caused a subsequent boost in the global rate of plate tectonics.
Which plate movement causes earthquakes?
About 80% of earthquakes occur where plates are pushed together, called convergent boundaries. Another form of convergent boundary is a collision where two continental plates meet head-on.