-
Asked by 845sscb29 to Alex, Ana, Clay, Keegan, Mark on 29 Apr 2016. This question was also asked by Barbie, Valeria_ibarra_22.
Question: What would happen if tectonic plate froze?
- Keywords:
-
Mark Ritchie answered on 29 Apr 2016:
If the earth’s tectonic plates no longer moved, the number of volcanoes and earthquakes around the globe would be greatly reduced, and many mountain ranges would begin to shrink from erosion. Earthquakes and volcanoes are nature’s way of providing new rocks and soils on the earth’s surface, and over really long periods of time, the earth’s soils would become poorer and become especially lacking in phosphorus, a key element for plant growth.
-
Alexander Taylor answered on 29 Apr 2016:
Tectonic plates move very slowly, and some may stay stationary for a period of time – the range is about 0 to 100 mm per year of movement. However, because other plates are moving, stationary plates will eventually be pushed into motion. The underlying reason that plates move is differences in density of the mantle, the layer of molten rock or magma below the crust.
-
Clay Robinson answered on 4 May 2016:
There would probably be fewer earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Both of these things occur due to the movement of the plates against one another, sliding along the margins of one another causing earthquakes, or one moving up over another resulting in molten lava and pressures that eventually cause volcanoes to erupt.
Mountain ranges would no longer get any taller, as the Himalayas and Andes Mountains currently due, rift valley such as the one in Ethiopia would not get any deeper as the plates pull apart.
Comments