File:Earth plates.jpg
Original file (1,129 × 565 pixels, file size: 219 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)
Summary
Earth plates (plate tectonics) from the USGS.
The lithosphere covers the whole Earth. Therefore, ocean plates are also involved, more particularly in the process of sea-floor spreading. This involves the midocean ridges which are a system of narrow submarine cracks that can be traced down the center of the major oceans. The ocean floor is being continuously pulled apart along these midocean ridges. Hot volcanic material rises from the Earth's mantle to fill the gap and continuously forms new oceanic crust. The midocean ridges themselves are broken by offsets know as transform faults.
Copyright status
This image is public domain because it was first published by the U.S. Geological Survey
Source
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/topics/plate_tectonics/rift_man.php
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| Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| current | 03:49, 28 November 2008 | | 1,129 × 565 (219 KB) | Ashcraft (talk | contribs) | Earth plates (plate tectonics) from the USGS. The lithosphere covers the whole Earth. Therefore, ocean plates are also involved, more particularly in the process of sea-floor spreading. This involves the midocean ridges which are a system of narrow subma |
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