Lesson 1 Flashcards
Who proposed the theory of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
What is the name of the supercontinent that Alfred Wegener believed existed before breaking apart?
Pangaea
True or False: Tectonic plates are massive pieces of the Earth’s lithosphere that move around on the more fluid asthenosphere.
True
What is the process by which tectonic plates move and interact with each other called?
Plate tectonics
What are the three main types of tectonic plate boundaries?
Divergent, convergent, transform
Which type of tectonic plate boundary occurs when plates move apart?
Divergent boundary
Which type of tectonic plate boundary occurs when plates collide?
Convergent boundary
Which type of tectonic plate boundary occurs when plates slide past each other horizontally?
Transform boundary
What is the name of the theory that explains the movement of Earth’s plates?
Plate tectonics theory
What evidence did Alfred Wegener use to support his theory of continental drift?
Fossil evidence, rock formations, and the fit of the continents
What was one major criticism of Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift?
Lack of a mechanism explaining how continents move
What technology helped scientists confirm the existence of tectonic plates?
Sonar technology
What is the name of the boundary where tectonic plates move away from each other?
Divergent boundary
What is the name of the boundary where tectonic plates move towards each other?
Convergent boundary
What is the name of the boundary where tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally?
Transform boundary
