Plate Tectonics.
Over the course of millions of years, the motion of tectonic plates reconfigures global land and ocean areas and generates topography. This can affect both global and local patterns of climate and atmosphere-ocean circulation.
The position of the continents determines the geometry of the oceans and therefore influences patterns of ocean circulation. The locations of the seas are important in controlling the transfer of heat and moisture across the globe, and therefore, in determining global climate. A recent example of tectonic control on ocean circulation is the formation of the Isthmus of Panama about 5 million years ago, which shut off direct mixing between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This strongly affected the ocean dynamics of what is now the Gulf Stream and may have led to Northern Hemisphere ice cover.
Over the course of millions of years, the motion of tectonic plates reconfigures global land and ocean areas and generates topography. This can affect both global and local patterns of climate and atmosphere-ocean circulation.
Soo, Aaron what cause the tectonic plates to shift, is it just natural or did humans cause it to happen?
ReplyDeleteThis is a problem that is simply unavoidable. The movement of tectonic plates is a process that will never be controlled by human beings. The only thing we can do is to come up with simple solutions or a way to deal with this problem.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the Isthmus of Panama? I didn't realize the tectonic plates have such an impact on the climate.
ReplyDeleteIs there anything that we can even do to stop this? And if there is would it be good for the earth if it is a natural function to interrupt it?
ReplyDeleteIf tectonic plates influence climate change based upon the geometry of the oceans, I wonder what the climate patterns were in Pangea when all major land forms were connected as one 200 million years ago and how different those climate patterns were in comparison to today's large landforms.
ReplyDeleteSource:
Adeline there is an area of the earth underground that is called the mantel. There are areas and patterns of movements there that are called convection currents. This movement in the mantle is thought to be what causes the plates to move.
ReplyDeleteWith the tectonic plates moving so much and messing up the topographing.. is there anything the humans can do to make the topographs more accurate after the plates shift?
ReplyDeleteBrendan I agree with you, this is a natural cycle that the earth goes through and there really isn't much we can do to change it a little bit. The point of this blog is to show that humans aren't the only ones causing the climate too change, there are many other factors that change our climate, other than humans.
ReplyDeleteBrian H. the Isthmus of Panama is a narrow strip of land connecting North America and South America, it was formed over 3 million years ago by 2 tectonic plates colliding.
ReplyDeleteWhy do these plates shift?
ReplyDeleteRob H. many scientist at first thought that the super continent of Pangea was very temperate and similar like today, but now they are second guessing that belief. A group of researchers found evidence of a glacier near the equator and very close to see level which means that the climate back when the earth had one super continent was colder than the ice age.
ReplyDeleteAshlee the topographic maps that we have made now will be use full for many years to come, because plate tectonics is a very slow process and we won't see much of a change at all during our life times. One way humans can make topographic maps more accurate is too redo them often or computerize them.
ReplyDeleteAbove source:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.palaeos.com/Earth/Geography/Pangea.htm
Is there anyway to move the plates back?
ReplyDelete