Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Tectonic plates and continental drift are extremely important
in determining the history of the Earth. Movement of
tectonic plates over time is responsible for some of the largest
changes in the Earth's crust and in its climate. There are 2
types of tectonic plate--continental plates and oceanic plates.
As these plates move around they change things like sea
level and climate (so whether an area is warm or cold).
They also alter the shape of the land by making mountains or being destroyed in deep ocean trenches and
subduction zones. These alterations in climate due to
plate location cause huge changes in what kinds of creatures
can survive and where they can survive. The map on the right
shows you the current locations of all of our plates, but keep
in mind that, for example, North America and Europe are
growing further apart while at the same time
east Asia is being subducted under the Pacific plate. So
even though crust is being created at one location its often
being destroyed in another location on the other side of the planet.