Tag: tectonic plate
Slab: what is it?
“Slab” is the term used to refer to the sinking plate in the context of subduction. A subduction zone is defined by the convergence of two tectonic plates, with an…
Plate tectonics: for continents too, rupture can be difficult
Continental breakup is one of the fundamental processes of plate tectonics. While some continents seem to accept divorce quite easily, breaking up is much more difficult for others. You will…
For the continents too, the break can be difficult
Continental breakup is one of the fundamental processes of plate tectonics. While some continents seem to accept divorce quite easily, breaking up is much more difficult for others. You will…
How fast do the continents move?
We are not aware of it, but the tectonic plates move slowly under our feet, at the speed of a few centimeters per year, driven by major tectonic and convective…
50 million years ago, the Pacific plate suddenly changed direction. Why ?
In the Pacific, the route of the Hawaii-Emperor volcanic chain has long been used as an indisputable witness to the movement of tectonic plates. However, it shows that a major…
Recent lava from the Hawaii hotspot is believed to result from intense chemical interactions in the Earth’s mantle
The lavas produced in the volcanoes of certain hot spots have a particularity: they are rich in CO2 and carbonates. The rocks resulting from these magmas are what are called…
What drives plate tectonics?
The outer part of the Earth is divided into different rigid units called lithospheric plates. These plates have the ability to move above the asthenosphere. They can thus fragment, move…
Hercynian chain: what is it?
The Hercynian range, also called the Variscan range, is a large mountain range that has now disappeared. His training began in Devonian, over 400 million years ago, when the continents…