Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Earth Sciences

Old Dominion University

Theses/Dissertations

2012

Plate boundaries

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Modeling, Visualizing, And Understanding Complex Tectonic Structures On The Surface And In The Sub-Surface, Steven Wild Jul 2012

Modeling, Visualizing, And Understanding Complex Tectonic Structures On The Surface And In The Sub-Surface, Steven Wild

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Plate tectonics is a relatively new theory with many details of plate dynamics which remain to be worked out. Moving plates can interact by divergence, lateral sliding, convergence, or collision. At a convergent plate boundary, a lithospheric slab of oceanic crust and upper mantle is subducted at a trench and dips down under a magmatic arc — either oceanic or continental. Textbooks show a static view of convergent boundaries but plate dynamics require that subduction zones and magmatic arcs must migrate with time. Therefore I develop animated models to help convey this motion. Also, convergent plate boundaries cannot continue along …