movements of the tectonic plates effect human life. in what ways does it happen
Answers
Plate tectonics is responsible for most of the world’s recycling of elements. As plates move, crunch and sink beneath each other, they carry down into the Earth gigatons of carbon, silicon, water, calcium and many lighter elements. Earth’s mantle heat then heats them up, and recycled elements resurface as volcanic eruptions. These are then reused by life on Earth. They change the composition of the air, create global warming and cooling, bring valuable minerals up to the surface (diamond, gems, uranium, etc.) and change the world’s weather. They also permit the use of minerals and metals that would not be on the surface, but would have sunk deep into the mantle were it not for tectonic actions.
For example, at one time, our continents were once all joined together into Pangaea. It was so big that in one landmass, it had tropical jungles, vast deserts and giant mountains. Its break-up was due to plate tectonics, and the drifting of its continents formed Europe, Asia, South and North America, India, etc. Obviously, those places dramatically changed as they drifted north or south and the ancestors of people living on them (early mammals, reptiles, etc.) had to adapt. That adaption eventually … led to us … to the advent of technological intelligence … to cities and buildings … to war and competition for resources … in fact … to everything that man is today. So in a way, we owe our very structure of behavior and society … on plate tectonics!