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
What is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges?
Seafloor spreading
What is the name of the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake?
Epicenter
What is the name of the theory that explains how new oceanic crust is formed?
Seafloor spreading theory
What is the name of the boundary where oceanic and continental plates converge, leading to subduction?
Oceanic-continental convergent boundary
What is the name of the boundary where two oceanic plates converge, leading to the formation of island arcs?
Oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary
What is the name of the boundary where two continental plates collide, forming mountain ranges?
Continental-continental convergent boundary
What is the name of the process where one tectonic plate is forced below another into the mantle?
Subduction
What is the name of the boundary where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally?
Transform boundary
What is the name of the largest tectonic plate on Earth?
Pacific Plate
What are the names of the other major tectonic plates on Earth?
North American Plate, South American Plate, African Plate, Eurasian Plate, Antarctic Plate, Indo-Australian Plate
