W. Jason Morgan

W. Jason Morgan is an American geologist who made significant contributions to the development of plate tectonics theory. This theory describes Earth's lithosphere as being divided into rigid plates that float and move independently over the asthenosphere. Morgan's work, along with that of Dan P. McKenzie and Robert L. Parker, demonstrated that these plates move as undeformed, rigid bodies on a sphere, which explains the observed patterns of divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries. He also proposed that the plates extend to the base of the lithosphere, approximately 100 km deep, which aligns with seismic observations. This unifying theory revolutionized Earth sciences by providing a framework to explain phenomena like earthquakes, volcanism, and mountain building.1234