Ch.8 - Plate Tectonics Flashcards
1
Q
Pangaea
A
A supercontinent that included all of the landmasses on Earth. It began breaking apart about 200 million years ago
2
Q
Mid-ocean ridge
A
A long line of sea-floor mountains where new ocean crust is formed by volcanic activity along a divergent boundary
3
Q
Convection
A
The transfer of energy from place to place by the motion of heated gas or liquid. In Earth’s mantle, convection is thought to transfer energy by the motion of solid rock, which when under great heat and pressure can move like a liquid
4
Q
Convection current
A
A circulation pattern in which material is heated and rises in one area, then cools and sinks in another area, flowing in a continuous loop
5
Q
Continental drift
A
The hypothesis that Earth’s continents move on Earth’s surface
