Plate Tectonic explains many changes to Earth s surface over time Mountain Building Continental Drift Volcanoes Earthquakes Origins of Rock Recycling of Rocks into Magma Absolute plate velocities may be mapped by Plotting plate motion relative to a fixed spot in the mantle Measuring volcano ages distance along a hot spot track Plate Tectonics involve many aspects of a dynamic Earth Creating of new plates at mid ocean ridges Destruction of plates when they are subducted back into the mantle Continental drift sea floor spreading Convection hot materials rise and cool materials sink Transform convergent and divergent Boundaries form the edges of plates Divergent Boundaries crust move apart These boundaries are called spreading boundaries or mid ocean ridges The Mid Atlantic Ridge Snakes N S through the entire Atlantic Ocean Elevated ridge 1 500 km wide 2 km above abyssal plains 500 m deep 10 km wide Symmetric
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