This was a shower thought, basically I was thinking about my upcoming exam and reviewing the topics of my science exam, and then I remembered plate tectonics. I was remembering all of the parts and things that can happen, and then I came up with this:
I was thinking about volcanoes and tectonic plates, and then I thought about what if there were no tectonic plates at all? There would be no way (excluding hot spots) to relieve pressure, and even if the hot spots did make volcanoes, they would most likely not relieve enough pressure from the lava in the mantle. Since all of this pressure is building up, wouldn't it have to eventually blow up and get out from the earth somehow? I think it would be like a giant grenade - you pull the pin, and it lights a fuse. Once the fuse gets all the way to the end and reaches the part that explodes, it releases all of the pressure and explodes into the area of least resistance, so would the Earth do that too, and maybe blow up from a certain side and create some huge explosion and a mega volcano or something? Also, the earth would be completely flat, no hills (unless wind piles sediment up), no mountains, no volcanoes (once again, excluding hot spots). I don't know why I'm asking, it just came to head all of the sudden and I needed to ask someone who might know the answer.
Tell me your thoughts on what would happen, or if you are some sort of scientist, if this is plausible or how it would/could work.
I meant the plates are still there, just all connected. @zackattack316
If there were no tectonic plates, magma would erode through the thinner layers of the crust and relieve the pressure
@Verterium no volcanos, but geysers will release pressure. Yellowstone has geysers keeping the supervolcano calm. If thise geysers were plugged, intense pressure will build up, blowing the volcano's top off. So, the world, if every single geyser was plugged, that could lead to some pressure, but, sinkholes go to weak bedrock, and the pressure would destroy it releasing lava at the bottom of the sinkhole, if there were no volcanoes or geysers. We would have sinkholes expanding and getting huge from the lava melting rock. The stone collapses, and will eat more land, destroying earth... well that's my theory.
No hills... no bush flying...
Pretty good explanation yourself!
not bad ^^
@CrazyCodeC Yeah..actually, my science teacher just told me that since there are no subduction zones (where oceanic crust and continental crust meet, and since the oceanic is more dense, it goes under the continental crust, and starts melting, creating more lava, and more pressure), there wouldn't be any new magma being formed, so actually, the Earth would still be Pangea, one giant landmass, with literally almost NO hills and definitely no mountains or volcanoes. It would be a giant Florida basically (Florida has no hills or mountains).
I don't think the earth would explode, but I do think that it would be ripped open, creating some kind of super volcano, which would then lead to all life on earth being wiped out due to immense amounts of volcanic ash
@TTHHSSSS @TrainDude
Do you guys have any clue on what would happen?