This episode explores how plate tectonic affect climate, including the formation of mountains and volcanoes.

Topics covered in this video:

0:00 – 1:18
– mountain building
– volcanic eruptions
– overview of plate tectonics
– plate boundaries
– transform, convergent, divergent
1:19 – 4:32
– how climate is affected by plate tectonics
– lateral movements
– vertical movements
– volcanic eruptions
– how ocean currents are guided by continental boundaries
– Example: climate without the Isthmus of Panama
– oceanic mixing and biological shift
4:33 – 6:52
– surface uplift: mountains and plateaus
– affect on air circulation
– Himalayas and Asian Monsoon
6:53 – 9:21
– volcanic eruptions (subduction zones)
– effect of ash and aerosols
– effect of major erruptions on Earth’s climate
– Tambora Indonesia (1815)
– Pinatubo, Phillippines (1991)

Created by Prof. Richard Sedlock at San Jose State University.

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