Moving Plates & Convection Currents Flashcards
What are plates?
The earth is like a giant puzzle and it’s pieces are called plates
What are the two kinds of plates?
-continental plate
-oceanic plate
What are plate boundaries?
Plate boundaries are where two plates meet
What are convection currents?
They occur in the mantle ad cause plates to move
What is stage 1 of convection currents?
The heat of the earths core causes magma to heat up and rise
What is stage 2 of convection currents?
When the hot magma reaches the underneath of the crust it spreads out in all directions dragging crust with it
What is stage 3 of convection currents?
The magma then cools slightly as it is furthest from the core. This makes it heavier
What is stage 4 of convection currents?
The heavier magma sinks back down towards core where it is heated again
What is stage 5 of convection currents?
This cycle is repeated
