plata tectonics Flashcards
crust
the outermost shell of a rocky planet
mantle
layer of molten rock between
core
made up of mostly iron separated into the outer core (molten) and inner core (solid)
tectonic plate
the layer of rock the makes up the other part of the earth, including the crust and upper mantle (lithospheri)
continental drift theory
the theory that continents gradually drifted over time to their present positions
asthenosphere
a thin layer if earth, about 150 miles thick, at the border between the mantle and the crust
convection current
the process in which the hotter parts of a gas or liquid rise to the top and the cooler, denser parts sink
convergent boundary
when two tectonic come together
mountains
uplift of crustal plates that that form elevated landmasses
volcanoes
a vent or fissure in earth,s surface through which magma and gases are expelled
divergent boundary
when tectonic split apart
transform boundary
when tectonic plates slide past each other
fault
breaks in the crust. The movement cau
mid-ocean ridge
a long ridge of underwater volcanoes
subduction zone
a place where one te