Mountains and Continents Building Flashcards
1
Q
Theory that Earth’s surface is broken into rigid moving plates
A
plate tectonics
2
Q
equilibrium between continental crust and the denser mantle below it
A
isostasy
3
Q
downward vertical motion of Earth’s surface
A
subsidence
4
Q
upward vertical motion of Earth’s surface
A
uplift
5
Q
the force action on a surface
A
stress
6
Q
squeezing stress
A
compression
7
Q
stress that pulls something apart
A
tension
8
Q
parallel forces acting in opposite directions
A
shear
9
Q
change in the shape of rock caused by stress
A
strain
10
Q
does not permanently deform rock
A
elastic strain
11
Q
causes a permanent change in the shape of a rock
A
plastic strain
12
Q
rocks break rather than just changing shape
A
rock failure
13
Q
a constant recycling of rock materials as new rocks are created and existing rocks are destroyed or changed
A
rock cycle
14
Q
Mountains are gradually _____ through the actions of weathering and erosion
A
worn down
15
Q
Mountain ranges are produced by _____
A
plate tectonics
16
Q
Mountain and valleys form where tectonic plates _____
A
collide or converge
17
Q
The rigid tectonic plates on Earth’s surface move horizontally because Earth’s upper mantle is _____
A
fluid
18
Q
Continents rise above the seafloor because continental crust is made of rocks that are ______ than Earth’s mantle
A
less dense
19
Q
A continent floats on top of the mantle because the mass of the continent is _____ the mass of the mantle it displaces
A
equal to
20
Q
part of the continental crust sinks deeper into the mantle when the crust becomes ______
A
thicker
21
Q
Rocks break or change shape at plate boundaries because motion of the plates exerts compression, tension, or _________
A
shear
22
Q
Layers of rocks thicken and fold through _____ caused by converging tectonic plates
A
compression
23
Q
rocks keep moving through the ______ through the forces of plate motion, uplift, and subsidence
A
rock cycle
24
Q
_____ states Earth’s surface is made of a number of rigid ____ that move on top of the fluid upper mantle
A
Theory of plate tectonics
plates
25
____ and ___ form where plates collide, move away, or slide past each other
mountains and valleys
26
understand the _____ that act on Earth's plates to understand how they can _____ to form mountains
forces
| rise vertically
27
plates float on the surface of Earth's _____ for similar reasons as icebergs float on the surface of __________
mantle
| water
28
Plates are less _____ than the fluid rock of the mantle, and part of the continental crust floats above the surface of the ___________
dense
| mantle
29
___________ displaces some of the mantle below it until equilibrium is reached which is called __________
continental crust
| isostasy
30
If crust gets thicker it will ______ deeper into mantle, but mantle will push up on the thicker ______ until a(n) ______ is reached
sink
crust
balance
31
Weathering and ______ remove the top part of a mtn. Then the crust rises to maintain ________
erosion
| isostasy
32
Mountain stops moving when mass of mountain equals mass of the ____ it displaces
mantle
33
20,000 years ago part of earth's crust was covered by _____ which pushed down on crust forcing it to sink into the _____ in a process called _____
glaciers
mantle
subsidence
34
the melting of glaciers and draining of water upset the _____ balance, and crust started moving ___ in response in a process called ____
isostatic
upward
uplift
35
A force acting on a surface is called _____
stress
36
._______ occurs when stress acting on rocks causes the rocks to change shape.
strain
37
. In the upper crust, the rocks are_______, and forces cause the rocks here to ____ rather than to change shape.
more brittle
| break
38
When strain breaks rocks rather than just changing their shape, it is called ______
failure
39
Fractures, or _____, form when rocks fail.
faults
40
Rocks are always moving through the ______ , both vertically and horizontally
rock cycle
41
Together, _____ motion, ________,
| and subsidence keep rocks moving through the rock cycle.
plate
| uplift
42
Uplift brings ______ and _______ rocks
| from deep in the crust up to the surface, where erosion breaks down rocks into _____)___.
igneous
| metamorphic
43
Buried sediment becomes _____ rocks, which with pressure and temperature eventually become ____ rocks.
sedimentary
| metamorphic
44
______ takes all types of rocks deep into Earth, where they can melt and become new ____ or ______ rocks.
subduction
igneous
metamorphic
45
Weathering or _____ can remove all or part of a mtn
erosion
46
when plates _____ at a plate boundary a combination of folds faults and uplift create mtns
collide
47
mtns stop increasing in size when _____ at a convergent plate boundary stops increasing
compression
48
continents are continuously changing because Earth's tectonic plates are always _____
moving
49
The Appalachian Mtns were created through a cycle of repeated ____ and rifting
collisions
50
The Appalachian Mtns are much ____ than the Rockies
older
51
_____ rocks that formed deep below the surface are exposed on the top of mtns as a result of erosion and uplift
Metamorphic
52
Rocks fold rather than fault when there is enough _____ or pressure
heay
53
the folds in folded mtns are _____ to the direction of the compression that created them
perpendicular
54
Fault-block mtns result when _____ stresses pull crust apart at faults
tension
55
uplifted mtns form when large regions _____ vertically with very little deformation
rise vertically
56
Granite in the Sierra Nevada mtns originally formed below Earth's surface and was then _____ through erosion and uplift
exposed
57
Volcanic eruptions can build huge _____ when molten rock hardens on the surface after many repeated eruptions
mountains
58
This describes elevation in most continental interiors
a few hundred feet above sea level
59
Many rocks in continental interiors are of these types
old igneous and metamorphic
60
These add igneous rock and cause continents to increase in size
volcanic eruptions
61
These can create large plateaus
volcanic eruptions
62
These can collide and push fragments of one continent onto another
tectonic plates
63
This is an extensive area of level or rolling land
plain
64
These are located near the edges of continents
highest elevations
65
These are areas of subsidence and regions with low elevation
basins
66
These accumulate in basins
sediments
67
Most of our energy resources come from these areas
basins
68
This is a flat region with high elevations
plateaus
69
1. Mountain ranges form ______ , and they ______
| slowly, over millions of years.
slowly
| change
70
Because many different _____ occur to form the mountains,mountains are made up of many different kinds of _______.
plate collisions
| rocks
71
The processes of ______ and ______ can
| carry away all or parts of mountains.
weathering
| erosion
72
When plates at a(n) ________ , a
| combination of folding, faulting, and ______ form mountains.
plate boundary collide
| uplift
73
The ______ that originally brought the plates together can become ______ after many millions of years.
forces
| inactive
74
When the plate ______ is no longer active, one new _____ is formed from the two old continents.
boundary
| continent
75
With no ______ at a(n) ______ plate
| boundary, the mountains stop growing.
compression
| convergent
76
The movement of Earth’s tectonic _______ causes the
| _______ to always be changing.
plates
| continents
77
A(n) ______ plate boundary that forms on a continent often forms close to the place where two plates first _______ .
divergent
| collided
78
First a large split, or ______ , forms; as it grows, water flows into it, forming a(n) _______.
rift
| ocean
79
________ has rounded the peaks and lowered the elevations of
| the Appalachian Mountains.
weathering
80
As a mountain _______ , the root under it must rise to restore the balance between what is left of the mountain and how it floats on the ______.
erodes
| mantle
81
______ deep under continents rise slowly toward Earth’s
| surface.
rocks
82
b. In old mountain ranges,_______ rocks that formed deep below the surface are exposed on the top of ______ .
metamorphic
| mountians
83
Plate movements can change the ____ of rocks within a
| mountain range.
position
84
____ mountains are made of layers of rock that are folded
folded
85
when ______ removes the upper part of the crust, ______ are exposed on the surface
erosion
| folds
86
the folds are _____to the direction of the force of _____ that created them
perpendicular
| compression
87
parallel ridges that form where blocks of crust move up along faults are called _____ mountains
fault-block
88
if the ______ that caused the mountains to form pulled in an east-west direction, the mountains will form ridges oriented in the ______ direction
tension
| same
89
fault-block mountains have a high _____ next to a(n) ______; between these two landforms is a(n) ______ where the movement that caused the landforms occured
ridge
valley
fault
90
_____ mountains form when large regions of land rise with very little deformation
uplifted
91
one idea of how uplifted mountains form involves sinking _______ pulling the crust ______, which causes the crust near the surface to become compressed and thicker
mantle
| and creates compression closer to the surface
92
as the crust thickens the upper part of the crust rises to maintain _____; sometimes the crust rises high enough to create tall _____
isostasy
| mtn ridges
93
_____ are special kinds of mountains
volcanoes
94
volcanic mountains form when molten rock _____ onto earth's surface and _______
erupt
| harden
95
volcanic mountains that are ______ have not erupted in a long time, but they might ______ again someday
dormant
| erupt
96
in most continents, the higher elevations are located close to the ______ of the continent.
edges
97
the lower, flat parts are located close to the ______ of the continent
interior
98
there are few _______ in the interior of continents
mountains
99
the interior parts of continents are formed of old ______ and ______ rocks and are the ______ parts of continents
igneous
metamorphic
middle
100
the middle parts of the continents are ______ because millions or billions of years of ______ have worn the rocks smooth and level
smooth and flat
| erosion
101
continents can grow when _____erupt, adding ______ rock to the surface of the land
volcanoes
| igneous
102
continents can also grow when tectonic ______ carry _____, whole ______-, or continent fragments with them and add them to existing continents
plates
island arcs
continents
103
when the moving plate that is carrying the piece of land reaches a(n) _______ at a(n) ______ boundary, the less _______ piece of land gets pushed onto the edges of the continent, causing the continent to ______
continent
convergent
dense
grow
104
continents can change size and shape due to ______ and become smaller due to ______ and erosion
rifting
| weathering
105
rocks neat the center or in the interior of continents are usually flat, _____, very old, and very ______
stable
| strong
106
an extensive area of level or rolling land is called a(n) ________
plain
107
in north america, most of the central area is called the ______
Interior Plains
108
the ______ that form the interior plains came from smaller plates that _____ about 1 billion years ago
rocks
| collided
109
shallow ______ once covered these plains, and over millions of years, _____ and ______ have worn the plains so they are nearly flat
seas
weathering
erosion
110
plate motion and ______ can cause places to sink, or _____
isostasy
| rise
111
____ are areas of subsidence and regions with low elevation
basins
112
when sediments erode off of mountains, they often collect in ______
basins
113
animal and plant remains can also get buried in basins and converted by pressure and heat over millions of years into oil, ______ gas, and ______
natural
| coal
114
therefore, ____ are often important places, economically, because they contain valuable ____ resources
basins
| natural
115
______ are flat regions with high elevation
plateaus
116
______ causes some plateaus, such as the colorado plateau to form
uplift
117
_____ of lava can also form large plateaus
eruption
118
earth's surface is constantly _______
changin
119
mountains form and _____ away
erode
120
______ grow, shift, and shrink
continents
121
equilibrium between continental crust and the denser mantle below it
isostasy
122
downward vertical motion of earth's surface
subsidence
123
upward vertical motion of earth's surface
uplift
124
squeezing stress
compression
125
stress that pulls something apart
tension
126
parallel forces acting in opposite directions
shear
127
change in shape of rock caused by stress
strain
128
deep, underwater troughs created by one plate subducting under another plate at a convergent plate boundary
ocean trenches
129
curved line of volcanoes that forms parallel to a plate boundary
volcanic arc
130
tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other, they form
transform faults
131
area of many fractured pieces of crust along a large fault
fault zone
132
made of layers of rocks that are folded
folded mountains
133
parallel ridges that form where blocks of crust move up or down along faults
fault-block mountains
134
when large regions rise vertically with very little deformation
uplifted mountains
135
an extensive area of level or rolling land
plain
136
area of subsidence and regions with low elevation
basins
137
flat regions with high elevations
plateaus
138
what is subsidence
downward vertical motion of earths surface
139
what are the three forces that shape the earth
compression, shear, and tension
140
what is isostasy
the equilibrium between continental crust and the denser mantle below it
balance between crust and mantle
141
what is a volcanic arc
made by volcanoes
| curved line of volcanoes that forms parallel to plate boundaries
142
how are volcanic mtns formed
volcanoes erupt ash and lava build up to form a mtn
143
what are sedimentary basins
- Areas of subsidence and regions with lower ground.
| - Gas, coal, and oil are found in sedimentary basins
144
what is abrasion
- It is the grinding away of rock or other surfaces as particles carried by wind, water, or ice scrape against them.
145
dune
formed by wind
windblown deposit of sand
Over time, entire fields of dunes can travel across the land as wind continues to blow the sand.
146
what is a transform zone
-fault that forms where tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other
147
long shore current
- A long shore current erodes and deposits large amounts of sediment along a shore line
- Long shore currents transports the sand along ocean coasts
- a current parallel to the shore
148
flood plain
flat land next to body of water that can and will be flooded.
149
loess
crumbly windblown deposit of sand, silt, and clay. rich in minerals
150
earth's crust, mantle, and core
```
thickest to thinnest
mantle core crust
densest to least dense
core mantle crust
inner core solid outer liquid
```
151
oceanic crust
-Oceanic crust- The thin crust that underlies the oceans basins
152
continental crust
-Continental crust- Thicker crust that the continents are made of.
153
divergent plate
plates that move away from each other
154
convergent plate
plates that move towards each other and collide
155
subduction
When two plates collide, one can go under the other and be forced into the mantle in this process
156
continental drift theory
theory that suggests that continents are in motion and were once all connected in a super continent called Pangea
157
folds
folded mountain is a mountain made of rocks that are folded.
158
faults
fault-block mountain is a parallel ridge that forms where blocks of crust move up or down along faults
159
collisions and rifting
continents often collide
- when a continents split apart, that is a rift
- continents often break apart close to there they first collided
- mountain ranges form when continents collide
160
what are the different types of mtns
folded mtn
fault-block mtn
uplifted mtn
volcanic mtn
161
what is a folded mtn
mountain made of layers of rocks that are folded
162
what is a fault-block mtn
: Parallel ridge that forms where blocks of crust move up and down along faults.
163
what is an uplifted mtn?
mountain that forms when large regions rise vertically with very little deformation
164
what is an oceanic trench
A deep, underwater trough created by one plate subducting under another plate at a convergent boundary `
165
what is a fault zone
:an area of many pieces of fractured crust along a fault line
