All about tectonic plates, earthquakes, and volcanos Flashcards
the name of the supercontinent that once existed
Pangea
Vents in the earths crust allow magma to erupt, cool, and push the ocean floor outward.
Sea Floor Spreading
heated rock that rises to the surface, cools, and sinks back down, producing currents.
Convection
a crack in the earth’s crust
Fault
the lithosphere in broken into slabs of molten rock that fit together like a giant jigsaw puzzle
Tectonic Plates
the sudden movements of earth’s crust that usually occur at plate boundaries
Earthquake
an instrument used to measure the strength of an earthquake
Seismograph
the size and strength of an earthquake
magnitude
the original earthquake magnitude scale
Righter Scale
the point in the lithosphere where the earthquake begins
Focus
the point on the earth’s surface directly above the focus
Epicenter
a smaller earthquake that follows a major earthquake
Aftershock
a vibration that travels through earth and is produced by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Seismic Wave
large waves created by an underwater earthquake or powerful landslide
Tsunami
Name the three plate boundaries and how they move
Convergent - collide together or slide under one another
Divergent - the plates pull apart, which can create seafloor spreading
Transform - the plates slide past eachother vertcally
