TEKS: Chapter 112. Science See All Teacher Resources

112.36.c.10

(10)  Solid Earth. The student knows that plate tectonics is the global mechanism for major geologic processes and that heat transfer, governed by the principles of thermodynamics, is the driving force. The student is expected to:

• (A)  investigate how new conceptual interpretations of data and innovative geophysical technologies led to the current theory of plate tectonics;

• (B)  describe how heat and rock composition affect density within Earth's interior and how density influences the development and motion of Earth's tectonic plates;

• (C)  explain how plate tectonics accounts for geologic processes and features, including sea floor spreading, ocean ridges and rift valleys, subduction zones, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain ranges, hot spots, and hydrothermal vents;

• (D)  calculate the motion history of tectonic plates using equations relating rate, time, and distance to predict future motions, locations, and resulting geologic features;

• (E)  distinguish the location, type, and relative motion of convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries using evidence from the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes; and

• (F)  evaluate the role of plate tectonics with respect to long-term global changes in Earth's subsystems such as continental buildup, glaciation, sea level fluctuations, mass extinctions, and climate change.