EARTHS INTERIOR AND PLATE TECHTONICS Flashcards
Crust
upper most layer of earth–conatians the oceqanic and continetal crust and lithosphere
Mantle
layer benath the crust where magma flows–contains the asthenosphere
core
most inner layer of earth– contains the inner and outter core
what are the 3 main layers of earth
the crust mantle and core
oceanic crust
made of igneous rock, baasalt and gabbro–apart of the earths crust
continental crust
made of granite rock called granodirate– apart of earths crust
lithosphere
earths outer most layer that consists of the crust and uper most mantle it forms a relatively cool and rigid slab of rock known as a plate
asthenosphere
the soft and weak layer beneath the lithosphere where magma flows
why does magma flow in the asthenosphere
it is close to it’s melting point so the magma becomes easily deformed
inner core
made of mostly iron-nickel
why is the inner core solid?
because it is compressed by immense pressure
outer core
made of mostly metallic iron
conevection
movement in general of either magma or just currents in general
plates/ plate tectonics
huge slabs of rigid rock that are made of crust and upper most mantel which together are called the lithosphere– the magma in the asthenosphere causes the plates to move//tectonics–moving
pangaea
the super continent that is thought to have existed before the continents drifted apart
convergent boundaries
—->
divergent boundaires
plates moving apart (land fills the gaps and will create new land, mountians or volcanoes)