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Memorandum
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:

Dr. Kelly Roberts

Ross Meyer
February 17, 2015
Project 2-Technical Definitions and Descriptions

The following document is in response to your request for a detailed technical definition and
description of a term of my choosing. Plate tectonics is a common term within my discourse
community of geology but may generate confusion for others in varying fields.
Audience
The intended audience for this technical definition and description is a grant approval panel for
organizations such as the National Science Foundation who help fund scientific research. The
accurate definition and description of what plate tectonics is and how they work is very
important to the field of geology and acts as a basis of the science. With this detailed
information, funds can be more appropriately distributed to geologic research which in turn will
develop a greater understanding of this world we all call home.
Purpose
The purpose of this extended technical definition and description is to inform a grant approval
panel of its exact meaning and importance therefore assisting their decision making process. The
proposed research to be conducted is based upon the term chosen and a comprehensive
understanding of this term is crucial to the research to be performed and funding to be approved.
Placement
The technical definition can be found near the beginning of a grant proposal with the technical
description following closely behind. While the definition and description of plate tectonics is
important it is not the sole purpose of this proposal. This is simply supporting, but necessary,
information that will be used to assist in funding decisions.
Choice of Visuals
Visuals will be carefully chosen to aid the understanding of the concept and help the reader to
more accurately discern what research would be funded if approved. The use of diagrams and
maps will be the primary type of visual aids.

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What is plate tectonics?

A theory of global tectonics in which the lithosphere is divided into a
number of crustal plates, each of which moves on the plastic
asthenosphere more or less independently to collide with, slide under,
or move past adjacent plates.
Dictionary.com

The concept of plate tectonics has only recently been accepted within the scientific community.
This implausible idea regarding the surface of the earth has since baffled scientists and led to
many other great discoveries.
History
The theory of continental drift was introduced by Alfred Wegener in 19151. This theory that the
crust of the Earth actually consisted of many different sections called Lithospheric or tectonic
plates was not initially accepted by the scientific community even though outstanding and
accurate evidence supported his claim. This supporting evidence included similarities in the
shapes between the eastern South American and western African continents as well as
similarities between fossils on both continents. This could only be the result of the same
organisms previously living on the same landmass. It wasnt until the 1960s that his theory was
acknowledged and the field of geology was forever changed.
Concept
The Earths crust consists of
lithospheric plates that float
on the mantle. Their
movements and interactions
with one another help shape the
surface of our planet (Fig. 1).
These plates move because of
the heat from within the Earth.
Many factors, such as rock
densities, boundary types, and
water intrusion, affect their behavior over
time.
Scientific Significance

Fig.1: Different geologic formations on the Earths

surface and their relationships with plate tectonics.
Source: http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/pltec/vigilim.html

Since the acceptance of the theory of continental drift and the resulting concept of plate
tectonics, many more important and influential discoveries have been made in the field of
geology. The recognition of this theory was as radical and significant as the idea of the Earth
being round proposed many centuries earlier.

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Source 1: Stanley, Steven M. Earth System History. 3rd ed. New York: W.H. Freeman and
Company, 2009. Print.

How does plate tectonics affect the surface of the earth and why should we
care?
Influence on the Earths Surface
Tectonic plates move over the asthenosphere, or top of the mantle, because of convection
currents within the Earth (Fig. 2). An easy analogy to help understand this idea can be visualized
while cooking. A rolling boil is when the bubbles in a pot of water start in the center and then
move across the surface towards the outside before disappearing again. This makes the concept
of convection currents easier to understand. The movement of these lithospheric plates has an
impact on almost every geologic formation including mountains, volcanoes, valleys, islands, and
many more. The type of formations and hazards created by the movement of tectonic plates
varies with the type of plate boundary and is further discussed in later sections.
Fig. 2:
Convection
currents in the
mantle drive
the movement
of tectonic
plates.
Source:
http://research.b
pcrc.osu.edu/ed
ucation/rr/plate_
tectonics/mantle
_convection_cell
.gif

Plate Boundaries

Divergent: When two tectonic plates are moving away from one another. Most often
found under the ocean creating mid-ocean ridges but also found on land such as in the
Great Rift Valley in Africa. Mostly calm and gradual plate movement.

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Convergent: These boundaries are found when one plate and another are moving towards
each other. The more dense plate (usually oceanic) will almost always subduct under the
less dense (continental) plate resulting in a volcanic arc such as in Chile or Japan. The
movement of these plates is usually violent and results in earthquakes, volcanism, and
tsunamis.

Transform: Transform boundaries are the result of plates moving side by side with each
other in a shearing motion. This can cause violent earthquakes because of the rapid
release of energy. The San Andreas Fault in North America is a continental transform
boundary.

Hazards Created
As previously stated, various types of plate boundaries create different types of hazards.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes are among the primary threat to human civilizations. With
the majority of human beings living on or very near the coastlines, future research of geology
and plate tectonics is imperative for minimizing the casualties and damages of associated natural
disasters.