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Tag: Plate tectonics

Plate tectonics is explained clearly in this collection of accurate, accessible science graphics, designed to make teaching and learning about the Earth’s moving plates engaging and easy. Covering processes such as continental drift, seafloor spreading, and subduction, these visuals show how tectonic plates interact to form mountains, trigger earthquakes, and fuel volcanic activity. Perfect for educators, students, and geology enthusiasts, this plate tectonics graphic collection brings one of Earth science’s most important concepts to life with high-quality, visually rich resources.

Tectonic plates (simple)

Global maps of tectonic plates of the Earth, consisting of 56 individual plates named according to abbreviations given in Argus et al. (2011).

Maps of the tectonic plates of the Earth, consisting of 56 individual plates named according to abbreviations given in Argus et al. (2011). The Earth’s lithosphere, the rigid outer shell of the planet including the crust and part of the upper mantle, is fractured into about eight major plates and more minor tectonic plates. The relative movement of the plates typically ranges from zero to 10 cm annually. This relative motion causes different deformation at the plate boundaries, which can be grouped into convergence, divergence, and strike-slip motion. At divergent plate boundaries (i.e., spreading ridges), tectonic plates are created, whereas at convergent boundaries (i.e., subduction zones), tectonic plates are recycled back into the Earth’s mantle. Due to their strong deformation, those tectonic plate boundaries are the most common sites for earthquakes and volcanoes.
The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent individual plates to all readers.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 10.09.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri et al. (2022) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
  • Related references:
    Argus, D. F., R. G. Gordon, and C. DeMets (2011), Geologically current motion of 56 plates relative to the no‐net‐rotation reference frame, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 12, Q11001, doi:10.1029/2011GC003751.
    Bird, P. (2003), An updated digital model of plate boundaries, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 4(3), 1027, doi:10.1029/ 2001GC000252.
    Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and E.O. Straume (2022, Pre-print), Effective high-quality science graphics from s-Ink.org, EarthArXiv, https://doi.org/10.31223/X51P78
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Global Cenozoic paleogeography

Global Cenozoic paleogeography, and the deep sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope curve.

Global Cenozoic paleogeography of Straume et al. (2020), and the deep sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope curve of Zachos et al. (2008). The Scientific colour map ‘oleron‘ is used to represent surface elevation accurately and to all readers.

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Slab tearing

Time-evolution of subduction slab break-off shown in a global spherical 3-D model.

Evolution of subduction slab tearing and eventual slab break-off shown in a global spherical 3-D model by contours of viscosity. The stiff down-going plate (yellow) is moving towards the observer before subduction and is starting to laterally tear apart at depth, while the remaining intact part continues to subduct.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 01.09.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri and Tackley (2014) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Crameri, F., and P.J. Tackley (2014), Spontaneous development of arcuate single-sided subduction in global 3-D mantle convection models with a free surface, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 119(7), 5921-5942, doi:10.1002/2014JB010939
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Plume-induced subduction

Temporal evolution of subduction initiation in a global, 3-D spherical numerical experiment showing the cold plates and hot mantle plumes.

Temporal evolution of subduction initiation in a global, 3-D spherical numerical experiment showing the cold plates as viscosity isosurfaces (grey) and mantle plumes as a temperature isosurface (red). Individual snapshots highlight the different phases of plume-induced subduction initiation characterised by (a) onset of hot mantle plumes, (b) local lithospheric thinning, (c-d) development of strong lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary topography through shallow horizontal mantle flow and an additional plume pulse, (e-f) plate failure and, finally, (g-h) buoyancy-driven subduction.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 01.09.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri and Tackley (2016) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Crameri, F., and P. J. Tackley (2016), Subduction initiation from a stagnant lid and global overturn: new insights from numerical models with a free surface, Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, 3(1), 1–19, doi:10.1186/s40645-016-0103-8
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Convergent plate boundary

Illustration of a convergent plate boundary on the Earth accommodating the relative motion of the plates by plate subduction and characterised by an arcuate shape.

Illustration of a convergent plate boundary on the Earth accommodating the relative motion of the plates by plate subduction. It is one of three general types of plate boundaries. Both convergent plate boundary and corresponding subduction zone have, usually, a characteristic arcuate (i.e., concave toward the upper plate) shape due to interaction with mantle flow.

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Plate boundaries & Euler pole

Illustration of how plates move across the Earth featuring the Euler pole and plate boundary end-members.

Illustration of how plates move across the Earth. The motion of (almost) rigid surface portions on a sphere can be described by a rotation around a rotation axis, which cuts the surface at the so-called Euler pole. This relative motion of the plates is mainly accommodated by localised deformation at plate boundaries. Three general types of plate boundaries exist: transform plate boundaries allow the plates to move alongside each other, and convergent and divergent plate boundaries allow for plate destruction and creation, respectively. Transform and divergent plate boundaries are almost straight features, but spreading ridges are generally offset laterally by transform intersections. Subduction zones are usually arcuate (i.e., concave toward the upper plate) due to interaction with mantle flow. Variations of these plate boundaries exist depending on the given combination of upper and lower plate nature (i.e., continental or oceanic).

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Ocean-plate age

Global seafloor age visualised on a custom Interrupted Mollweide map projection.

Maps of the age of oceanic plates, which varies between 0 and around 200 Ma due to ongoing plate motion and recycling (i.e., ocean-plate tectonics). Global sea-floor age data from Müller et al. (1997) visualised on a custom Interrupted Mollweide map projection from Crameri et al. (2020) focussing on the World’s oceans. The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 20.08.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri et al. (2022) is available via the open-access s-Ink.org repository.
  • Related references:
    Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and E.O. Straume (2022, Pre-print), Effective high-quality science graphics from s-Ink.org, EarthArXiv, https://doi.org/10.31223/X51P78
    Müller, R. D., et al. (1997). “Digital isochrons of the world’s ocean floor.” J. Geophys. Res. 102(B2): 3211-3214.
    Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
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SZI geologic evidence

Schematic illustration of the emplacement of subduction zone initiation (SZI)-typical rock evidence during SZI, and a typical SZI ophiolite sequence.

Schematic illustration of the emplacement of subduction zone initiation (SZI)-typical rock evidence during SZI, and a typical SZI ophiolite sequence. Note that this is a text-book example (according to e.g., the Izu-Bonin-Mariana SZI) and that pre-existing structures (e.g., a pre-existing volcanic arc) or variable SZI dynamics (e.g., horizontal compression) could inhibit various stages and therefore their typical rock signatures.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 18.08.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri et al. (2020) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
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Dynamic planet Earth

Illustration of the Earth with parts of its mantle extracted showing plate creation, cooling, and destruction.

Illustration of the Earth with parts of its mantle extracted showing plate creation, cooling, and destruction.

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