On 14th November 2014, AAPG SC UI conducted course titled “Tectonic and Sedimentary Basin”.
Previously, not only Alfred Wegener who propounded about tectonic movements in the earth. Many scientists have propounded their opinions about what is happening to the earth itself. Upon all the opinions of other scientists, conducted globally approaches that creates hypothesis that eventually reach a global agreement.
Tectonic history of science, has existed in the days 400 years BC originated from Aristotle who first had a hypothesis about the geology of the earth. In the end, followed by other scientists as follows:
400 BC
Aristotle: Some of the first geological thoughts
Middle Ages
Abu al-Rayhan al-Biruni (AD 973-1048)
17th Century
The birth of modern geology Nicholas Steno
1741
The National Museum of Natural History in France, the first institution to taught geology as a field of study
18th Century
Neptunist Vs Plutonist by Warner, Hutton, Lyell
19th Century
Industry revolutionary and imperialism: Stratigraphy, First geological survey, Geologic time scale
20th Century
PT & Continental Drift theory by Alfred Wegener, F Taylor, Robert S. Dietz & Harry H. Hess: seafloor spreading.
The existence of tectonic movements caused by the dynamics of the earth which are the topography, earthquakes and volcanic activity. Starting from the speculation of origin of the mountains, tectonic science was born. Tectonic not only can interpret the origin of the mountain but also presence of structures on the surface of the earth, such as continents, ocean basins, oceanic ridges, oceanic trenches, island arcs, high plateaus etc.
Geologist also use tectonic science to seek natural resources such as oil and gas. Investigating oil and gas, usually looking on the form of hollow structure. In case of sedimentation on the concave surface called geosyncline.
In 1858, Snider-Pellegrini made a model of separate continents before as it is now. Snider-Pellegrini has a hypothesis that was originally on the earth there is a big land, but due to the movement of tectonic plates, the large mainland broke as at present and will continue to move. This theory is called the theory of Continental Drift and Plate Tectonic.
In addition, there is also Plume Tectonic theory that the initial mechanism caused by tectonic movements in the Earth’s mantle plume. The movement of the mantle plume accompanied by volcanic activity, propagate to the surface, causing the surface to form folds. This movement is called neovulkanisme. Neovulkanisme acts as a data recorder movement of tectonic plates.
In addition to the formation of folds on the surface of the earth, tectonic plate movement also causes the surface of the ocean floor to be fractured (sea floor spreading). It is known that the Americas and Africa before is the one land, but because of the movement of tectonic plates resulting in the occurrence of sea floor spreading, that the American and African continents separate and move away from each other.
There are six categories of tectonics:
CONTINENT AND OCEAN BASIN
- Cratons (stable continents)
- Ocean Basins
PLATE BOUNDARIES
- Divergent Plate Boundaries
- Convergent Plate Boundaries
- Transform Plate Boundaries
HOT SPOTS
- Hot spots
Tuzo Wilson is a scientist who made the Wilson cycle. J. Tuzo Wilson was the first to make the connection between sea floor spreading at subduction zones.
In geology, there are several margins:
1. Passive Continental Margin
Located on the boundary of the continental crust and oceanic crust. In this area there are many faults caused by different forces.
2. Active Continental Margin
Located on the boundary of the continental crust and oceanic crust. In this area there are many faults due to subduction zones. In addition there is collision between the plates.
Continent originated from oceanic crust that rises to the surface. In Indonesia there is land that was originally from the bottom of the ocean, which is Papua. Here is a conceptual model to determine the geological and tectonic geological structure.