NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics.
- File
- PB2004101893.pdf
- Author(s)
- Lindeberg, P.
- Source
- December 2001, 81 p.
- Identifying Number(s)
- ISBN-0-16-048220-8
- Abstract
- In the early 1960s, the emergence of the theory of plate tectonics started a revolution in the earth sciences. Since then, scientists have verified and refined this theory, and now have a much better understanding of how our planet has been shaped by plate-tectonic processes. We now know that, directly or indirectly, plate tectonics influences nearly all geologic processes, past and present. Indeed, the notion that the entire Earth's surface is continually shifting has profoundly changed the way we view our world. People benefit from, and are at the mercy of, the forces and consequences of plate tectonics. With little or no warning, an earthquake or volcanic eruption can unleash bursts of energy far more powerful than anything we can generate. While we have no control over plate-tectonic processes, we now have the knowledge to learn from them. The more we know about plate tectonics, the better we can appreciate the grandeur and beauty of the land upon which we live, as well as the occasional violent displays of the Earth's awesome power.
- Keywords
- ; Geophysics; Plate tectonics; Geology; Earth crusts; Volcanoes; Earth movements; Surfaces; Climatic changes; Earth atmosphere; Maps; Earthquakes