what has the theory of plate tectonics done for geology?

Answer 1

I guess it explains continental drift and how the countries became close together i thought they were just islands before when dinosaurs lived.

Answer 2

It proved so many things that the Earth suddenly made sense to geology. After believing for many years in some crackpot theories as the 'shrunken apple' for example, the science of plate tectonics gave scientists and the rest of the world the luxury of following explanations:

-the shape of the continents
-why rock formations are exactly the same at opposite sides of an ocean
-tectonic activities as volcanos but especially the ocean rifts, the mountain chains deep under sea level, the earthquake plagued parts in the world along fault lines
-why some fosiels were found in France and New Island with thousands of hostil waters inbetween but not on the other side of that small Island
-the place where big mountain chains are found around the world and why other mountain chains are not at other places
-and so many things more....

The Earth as we know it from maps and shiny desk globes is only just a snap shot in geological terms, so we only very recently learned (the theory of plate tectonics was only generally accepted in the late 70s)

Answer 3

It has revolutionized it. With the Theory of Plate Tectonics, Geology has answered subduction, mid-oceanic trenches, island arc volcanism, and many other aspects seen on the Earth. Another revolution that has accompanied it is the mapping of the ocean basins. There is still a lot of controversy, such as slab-pull versus oceanic plate subduction, or hot spot vulcanism, but the main points are explained well by this theory.

Answer 4

It clarified why the continents are shifting, the formation of mountain chains close to the leading edge of the tectonic plates movement, the origin of many earthquakes and volcanic phenomena.
There may be more.

Answer 5

Plate tectonic theory helps to explain observations of the Earth, like volcanoes and earthquakes, in a mechanistic way that continental drift did not.

Answer 6

Wow, it is at the root of geology, how rocks come to be formed, how the crust overturns, why mountains are thrust up, why we have Earthquakes, why Africa looks like it would fit against South America, it is Geology as we understand it, we call spheres like the Moon and Mars 'geologically dead' because they lack it.

Answer 7

when looking at rocks the geologist can now check what plate was attached to it and get a better understanding of how rocks were formed.

Answer 8

we have come to understand that the continents are constantly moving about