Chapter 1: Our Restless Earth Flashcards
What is the crust, in the structure of the Earth?
Earth’s outer skin, made up of solid rock. It can be up to 6km thick beneath the continents, but as thin as 10km under the oceans.
What is the mantle, in the structure of the Earth?
A layer of hot, soft rock in between the crust and the core. The rock of the mantle is in a molten or semi-molten state and is called magma.
What is the core, in the structure of the Earth?
This is at the centre of the Earth. It is made of nickel and iron. It is the hottest layer of Earth. The outer core is molten, while the inner core is under so much pressure that it is solid.
What is magma?
The molten or semi-molten material that makes up Earth’s mantle.
What are continents?
The large land masses on Earth’s surface, e.g. Europe, Asia.
What are plates?
Sections of the Earth’s crust that have been broken up.
What are plate boundaries?
The edges of the plates; at which a plate will meet with another plate.
What is plate tectonics?
The theory that tries to explain the movements of the plates.
What are convection currents?
The upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cooler air.
What is a transform plate boundary?
A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions.
What features of physical geography can be found at transform plate boundaries?
Fault lines and earthquakes.
What is a constructive plate boundary?
Where two tectonic plates move apart from each other and new crust is formed.
What features of physical geography can be found at constructive plate boundaries?
Mid-ocean ridges, volcanic islands, volcanic mountains.
What is a destructive plate boundary?
Where plates collide, and crust is destroyed.
What features of physical geography can be found at destructive plate boundaries?
Fold mountains, volcanic mountains, earthquakes.
