{"id":1151,"date":"2013-03-08T06:53:03","date_gmt":"2013-03-08T05:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/?p=1151"},"modified":"2025-06-19T10:01:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T10:01:05","slug":"plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab","title":{"rendered":"Plate Tectonics&#8230; A Spreading Zone&#8230; and a Slab of Chocolate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1154\" title=\"prof-puckit_oceanography_plate-tectonics_spreading_image-open-university_230\" src=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/prof-puckit_oceanography_plate-tectonics_spreading_image-open-university_230.jpg\" alt=\"plate tectonics map and a slab of chocolate\" width=\"230\" height=\"146\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/prof-puckit_oceanography_plate-tectonics_spreading_image-open-university_230.jpg 230w, https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/prof-puckit_oceanography_plate-tectonics_spreading_image-open-university_230-150x95.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px\" \/>Here is an explanation of how plate tectonics in a spreading zone, moves&#8230;. using a slab of chocolate&#8230;. as you do&#8230;. and a bit of imagination.<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffffe0;\">.<br \/>\n<\/span>The choc&#8217; based explanation, may help visualise how the spreading process works and could help understand what can be seen on the geological map, shown below.<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A brief on plate tectonics general<\/strong>:<br \/>\nPlate tectonics is the name given to a process that takes place all over the Earth&#8217;s surface crust. The entire crust comprises, not one continuous crust, but a crust that has broken up into pieces (plates). Each plate is being shoved around by huge forces below it, from moving molten magma.<br \/>\nThree main consequences occur at plate edge zones\/margins, depending on the direction, relative to each other, that they are being shoved.<br \/>\n1. Both plate edges spread apart from each other (Spreading)<br \/>\n2. One plate edge is shoved under the edge of the other plate\u00a0(Subduction)<br \/>\n3. Both plate edges collide and\u00a0are often together,\u00a0thrust\u00a0upwards (Collision)<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>This article explains an example of 1. A Spreading Zone \/ Margin.<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThis choc&#8217; based explanation below, should help understand what can be seen on the geological map, shown here:<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">Image depicting: Atlantic Ocean with Mid Atlantic Ridge (Spreading Zone) revealed<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/prof-puckit_oceanography_plate-tectonics_spreading_image-open-university_550.jpg\" alt=\"plate tectonics showing an ocean spreading zone on a map\" width=\"550\" height=\"350\" \/><br \/>\nImage courtesy of The Open University**<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">.<\/p>\n<p>Earth has a thin rock crust all over&#8230; Made mainly of two sorts&#8230; Continental Crust (the bit we jump around on and grey in the map picture)&#8230; and Oceanic Crust (the bit that is between the chunks of Continental Crust and is red\/yellow\/green in the map pic).<br \/>\nThis whole crust is broken into variously sized, solid pieces (plates)<br \/>\nThere are many spreading zones between the plates and here we focus on one&#8230; The Atlantic Ocean Mid Atlantic Ridge.<br \/>\nYou can learn how the spreading zone works, using a slab of chocolate and a bit of imagination:<br \/>\nTake slab of choc&#8230; this is your Continental Crust.<br \/>\nBefore the Atlantic Ocean existed, South America used to be connected to Africa&#8230; It used to be &#8216;one land&#8217;&#8230; as is our slab of choc.<\/p>\n<p>You can demo how the &#8216;one land&#8217;, separated to form what is seen in the map, as it is today&#8230; using the choc slab (plus imagination)<\/p>\n<p>Place choc on table and snap it in two&#8230; keep both bits together&#8230; this represents the long ago &#8216;one land&#8217;&#8230; take a look at the map&#8230; we will now create the Atlantic Ocean area and separate South America from Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Look at your snapped choc slab&#8230; imagine a flow of smooth melt choc comes out of the table below (all along the snap line)&#8230; Then, as it flows up&#8230; move the snapped choc slab slowly apart so the flow spreads thinly out on the table and you keep pulling the choc slabs further apart as the melt flows out&#8230; STOP&#8230; let melt choc &#8216;sea floor&#8217; harden (all this held in your mind)<br \/>\nYou should have:<br \/>\n1. A centre line where the melt always flowed out from<br \/>\n2. An area of melt flow on either side of the centre line<br \/>\n3. Two slabs of choc, now separated by 1 &amp; 2 above<br \/>\nThat is what is seen on the map pic:<br \/>\n1 = spreading mid-ocean ridge (reddish line all up the mid-ocean)<br \/>\n2 = Oceanic Crust (red yellow green areas, both sides of 1.)<br \/>\n3 = Continental Crust&#8230; (grey chunks)<br \/>\nThis shifting apart of the tectonic plates at a spreading zone, moves the &#8216;choc slab&#8217; (Continental Crusts) apart&#8230; causing continental drift. The melt choc is molten magma, pouring out, all along the centre-line of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br \/>\nThe Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a huge long, still active volcano. This ridge is still spreading today. The Atlantic spreads further apart each year, by several centimetres.<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s it&#8230; You may now eat your chocolate.<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p>** The Open University&#8230; Oceanography (paid study course) S330&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/library\/digital-archive\/module\/xcri:S330\/study\" target=\"blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LINK HERE <\/a><br \/>\n** The Open University&#8230; Nature &amp; Environment (free study courses)&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/nature-environment\/free-courses\" target=\"blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LINK HERE <\/a><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cProf Puckit&#8230;&#8221; is a CaveWallMedia project\u2026 Bringing information &amp; musings\u2026 for intrigue, education, entertainment\u2026 Buy CaveWallMedia a coffee with an opportunity to place a comment if you would like.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/cwm-news\/yourre-theyre-fired\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1759 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ko-fi_cwm_couk-squ200WRP3.jpg\" alt=\"buy Cavewallmedia a coffee button link\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ko-fi_cwm_couk-squ200WRP3.jpg 200w, https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ko-fi_cwm_couk-squ200WRP3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ko-fi_cwm_couk-squ200WRP3-24x24.jpg 24w, https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ko-fi_cwm_couk-squ200WRP3-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ko-fi_cwm_couk-squ200WRP3-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here is an explanation of how plate tectonics in a spreading zone, moves&hellip;. using a slab of chocolate&hellip;. as you do&hellip;. and a bit of imagination. . The choc&rsquo; based explanation, may help visualise how the spreading process works and could help understand what can be seen on the geological map, shown below. . A [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1154,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[75,89,73,84,74],"class_list":["post-1151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-and-oceanographic-processes","tag-chocolate","tag-earth-and-oceanographic-processes","tag-plate-tectonics","tag-prof-puckit","tag-spreading"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Plate Tectonics... 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The story is explained using a slab of chocolate, for reference.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cave Wall Media - Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CaveWallMedia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-03-08T05:53:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-19T10:01:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/prof-puckit_oceanography_plate-tectonics_spreading_image-open-university_230.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"230\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"146\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Prof Puckit\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Prof Puckit\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Prof Puckit\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/#\/schema\/person\/5d560f03be5845f77f3f21765744021f\"},\"headline\":\"Plate Tectonics&#8230; A Spreading Zone&#8230; and a Slab of Chocolate\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-03-08T05:53:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-19T10:01:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab\"},\"wordCount\":677,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/prof-puckit_oceanography_plate-tectonics_spreading_image-open-university_230.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"chocolate\",\"Earth and Oceanographic Processes\",\"plate tectonics\",\"Prof Puckit\",\"spreading\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Earth and Oceanographic Processes\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cavewallmedia.co.uk\/cwmstories\/prof-puckit\/earth-and-oceanographic-processes\/plate-tectonics-explained-using-chocolate-slab\",\"name\":\"Plate Tectonics... 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