Chapter 4 Flashcards
Crust
The thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle.
Mantle
The layer of rock between the Earth’s crust and core.
Core
The central part of the Earth below the mantle.
Lithosphere
The solid outermost layer of the Earth hat consist of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle.
Asthenosphere
The soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move.
Mesosphere
The strong, lower part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core.
tectonic plates
A block of lithosphere that consist of the crust and the rigid outer most part of the mantle.
continental drift
The hypothesis that states that continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations.
sea-floor spreading
The process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies.
plate tectonics
the theory that explains how large pieces of the Earth’s outermost layer called tectonic plates move and change shape.
convergent boundary
the boundary formed by the collision of two lithosphere plates.
divergent boundary
the boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other.
transform boundary
the boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally.
compression
stress that occurs when forces act to squeeze an object.
tension
stress that occurs when forces act to stretch an object.
