What Does tectonics Mean
The tectonics is the division of geology that studies the structure of the crust of the Earth . As an adjective, whether in masculine ( tectonic ) or feminine ( tectonic ), the notion refers to what is linked to this structure or to what is related to architectural constructions.
As a geological specialty, tectonics analyzes the structures that are formed from the process that causes deformations in the crust. The characteristics of the relief of our planet, therefore, are associated with the way in which the materials that make up the geological structures are arranged.
It is possible to differentiate between the original structures (which develop simultaneously with the formation of the rocks) and the deformed structures (modified by forces acting on the original formations or on the result of previous deformations).
The original structures are studied by structural geology, while tectonics specializes in the study of deformed structures. Both disciplines , however, are complementary.
The deformations can be classified in different ways. The megatectónicas are the largest structures, which extend for thousands of kilometers . The microtectónicas , however, can hardly be noticed under a microscope. On the other hand, it is possible to differentiate between thick-skinned tectonics or thin-skinned tectonics according to the style of tectonic deformations when the continental crust shortens.
It should be noted that the piece of lithosphere (the solid surface layer of the Earth ) that can move over the asthenosphere (the layer immediately below the lithosphere) is known as a tectonic plate without undergoing internal deformations. The theory that explains how the lithosphere is structured is called plate tectonics .
It is important to note that the lithosphere is the outer part of the planet that is at the lowest temperature. Plate tectonics attempts to explain the presence of the homonymous plates that make up the Earth's surface, as well as the origin of the displacements that occur between them when they move over the Earth's mantle, their interactions and the directions each one takes.
The orogeny is the geological process through which the crust of the Earth is shortened and folded into an elongated area, all as a result of a push. Plate tectonics also seeks to explain this phenomenon , as well as the reason why volcanoes and earthquakes are found in certain very specific regions of our planet (a clear example is the Pacific Ring of Fire , which includes many countries, from Chile to New Zealand, passing through Canada and Russia).
Another question that plate tectonics tries to solve is the reason why large underwater trenches are close to islands and continents, instead of being freely distributed in the deepest areas of the oceans.
With regard to deformations, it is possible to distinguish between two types of basic movements: epirogenic (or vertical ), which are characterized by their considerable slowness and wide radius, and are produced to regain isostatic equilibrium; the orogenetic (or horizontal ), which cause the fractured and folded reliefs. Today, it is precisely by means of plate tectonics that specialists can explain the relief of our planet, as well as practically any concept of geology.
There is a sub-discipline of tectonics called neotectonics , which is dedicated to studying the deformations and movements of the Earth's crust; this includes geomorphological and geological processes. The term began to be used in 1948 to encompass the tectonic movements that had taken place around the end of the Cenozoic Era , approximately 2.5 billion years ago.