Plate Tectonics
Plate
tectonics is the theory that the earth's lithosphere is broken
into large, rigid sections or plates that move horizontally across the
earth. The movement of these plates can affect the earth's climate
in many ways:
- by changing the
distribution of the continents between the poles and equator--average
temperature increases as a landmass moves toward the equator
- by lifting up
landmasses (mountain-building)--average temperature decreases as the
altitude of a landmass increases
- by the release
of greenhouse gases and dust particles during seafloor spreading
and the eruption of volcanoes--greenhouse gases such as sulfur dioxide
(SO2) and carbon dioxide
(CO2) may lead to temperature increases, while
dust particles may increase cloudiness and lead to temperature decreases.
Photo:
Volcano in Paricutin, Mexico in 1943. Photo courtesy of NGDC/NOAA.
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