Geological change! Flashcards
What are plate boundaries?
The places where tectonic plates meet are called plate boundaries.
Where does geological change happen most frequently and why?
Geological change happens most frequently at plate boundaries as the tectonic plates are always moving.
How can geological change be?
Some geological change is very slow-it happens over millions of years, while some geological change is very sudden and violent.
What is subduction?
One plate may slide underneath the other one. This is called subduction.
When plates move together, what happens to the rocks in the Earth’s crust?
The rocks in the Earth’s crust melt as they move together and they become a part of the mantle.
Describe plates moving apart.
As tectonic plates drift away from each other, they break and crack when they become too thin.Lava(liquid rock) erupts from the mantle and hardens to form a new crust with new rocks. This forms a volcano.
Why is there a lot of friction between plates and what has it led to over years?
Because the plates are very large and heavy, there is a lot of friction between the plates.Over the years, this makes the plates stick together.
There is always force on the tectonic plates, so what eventually happens?
There is always force on the tectonic plates, so the pressure builds up and eventually the pressure causes a violent movement. This is an earthquake.
How are fold mountains formed?
Sometimes, when tectonic plates move together, the rocks crumble and fold upwards. The mountains that this produces are called fold mountains.
Where can fold mountains happen?
Fold mountains can happen on land or under the ocean.
What do the newest fold mountains include and how old are they?
The newest fold mountains are between 10 and 25 million years old, and they include the Himalayas in Asia and the Rocky Mountains in North America.
What do the oldest fold mountains include and how old are they?
The oldest fold mountains are more than 200 million years old, and they include the Ural Mountains in Russia.
