Chapter 2 exam; 9/26 Flashcards
Plate tectonics
The theory that explains the mobility of Earth’s crust and the large-scale features of continents and ocean basin
Continental drift
The theory that envisions continents moving slowly across the surface of the Earth
Pangea
Name of the super-continent, greek for “all Earth”
Lithosphere
outer shell of Earth, composed of oceanic and continental crust and the uppermost portion of mantle
Asthenosphere
Semi-plastic region of mantle that the lithosphere floats on
Divergent boundary
Plate boundary where plates move away from each other
Convergent Boundary
Plate boundary where plates move towards each other
Transform Boundary
Plate boundary where plates slide past each other
Passive margin
Coastal margin characterized by wide continental shelves, flatlands, not tectonically active
Oceanic crust
Crust that is more dense but less thick than continental crust
Continental crust
Crust that is less dense but more thick than oceanic crust
Subduction
The process of plates descending into mantle at convergence zones
Convection Cells
a process where hot material rises and cool material descends, thought to be present within the Earth
Continental shelves
Submerged, shallow extensions of continents stretching from the shoreline towards the sea
Nearshore
Area just offshore, where the surf zone develops
Foreshore
intertidal region of beach
Intertidal
Area that is covered during high tide but exposed during low tide
Backshore
dry region of beach
Dredging
the process of removing sand from the bottom of water bodies
Rip current
a flow of water from the beach back out to sea which tends to follow saddles in longshore bars
Backbarrier
The region separating barriers from the coast, consisting of tidal flats, shallow bays, lagoons and/or marsh systems
Sand
the most common constituent of barriers
Tidal range
the vertical difference between high and low tide
Antarctica
the only continent without barriers
