Earth Science- CH8 Flashcards
Lithosphere
the tough, outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle
Ashenosphere
the upper layer of the earth’s mantle, below the lithosphere, in which it is made up of plastic
Mantle
the region of the earth’s inside between the crust and the core, believed to consist of hot, dense silicate rocks/lava
Core
The very bottom of Earth’s interior consisting of both the inner and outer core. This is where the hottest part of the earth.
Seismic Waves
Waves of energy that travel through the Earth’s crust, caused by Earthquakes
Continental Drift
movement of the plates of the Earth’s crust in relation to each other
Panthalassa
the vast sea surrounding the supercontinent of Pangaea
Pangaea
a super-continent that existed about 225 million years ago. All of the landmasses that existed at this time were joined together to form this super-continent.
Plate Tectonics
the theory concerning the movement of the continental plates
Convection currents
circular movement that occurs when warmer, less dense fluid particles rise and cooler, denser fluid particles sink
Continental crust
the plates of the Earth’s crust that make up the land
Oceanic Crust
one of the types of crust that makes up the Earth’s outer layer. Oceanic crust is thinner than continental crust and made up of dense, heavy rocks such as basalt.
Boundaries
the edges of tectonic plates
Subduction
process in which two tectonic plates push against each other, and oceanic crust sinks below the less dense continental crust
Destructive plate boundaries
a convergent boundary where two plates collide
Constructive plate boundaries
plate that creates new land from cooling magma