Chapter 7: Plate Tectonics Flashcards
The earth’s crust is made up mostly of
rocks, specifically basalt and granite
Density, temperature, and pressure ____ as you go deeper into the earth.
increase
What do geologists use to study the Earth’s interior?
seismic waves
Starting at the surface and going DOWN, list the four main layers of the Earth in order.
Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core
Which layer is a dense, solid ball of metal?
Inner core
The crust should be _____ dense than the mantle.
less
Which of these goes with the Outer Core: liquid, iron & nickel, both core, solid, more dense
liquid
Which of these go with the Inner Core: liquid, iron & nickel, both core, solid, more dense
solid, more dense
Which of these go with both the Inner Core AND the Outer Core: liquid, iron & nickel, both core, solid, more dense
iron & nickel, both core
The type of heat transfer experienced when touching a hot pan.
Conduction
Heat transfer through empty space is called
radiation
Where in the Earth’s layers do convection currents flow?
The asthenosphere, which is at the top of the mantle.
What is a convection current?
The flow that transfers heat within a fluid, specifically the rising and sinking of liquid or gas.
Heat transfer in a fluid
convection
When the heat source is removed from a fluid, what happens to the convection current?
The convection currents will stop flowing without a heat source.
Wegener hypothesized that all of the continents were once ___?
joined together as one supercontinent, Pangaea
What three types of evidence did Wegener use to support his theroy of continental drift?
Landforms, Climate, Fossils
A scientific theory
a well tested concept that explains a wide range of observations
Why was Alfred Wegener’s idea of continental drift rejected by most geologists?
He couldn’t explain what pushed and/or pulled the continents.
What is Panagaea?
the supercontinent
What is subduction?
Ocean floor sinks through a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle
The longest mountain chain in the world.
mid-ocean ridge
In the process of sea-floor spreading, molten material rises from the mantle and erupts along the
mid-ocean ridge
What is S.O.N.A.R.?
A device used to measure distance that bounces sound waves off of under water objects.
