plate techtonics Flashcards
Lithosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
Asthenosphere
the upper layer of the earth’s mantle, below the lithosphere, in which there is relatively low resistance to plastic flow and convection is thought to occur.
Mesosphere
the region of the earth’s atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, between about 30 and 50 miles
inner core
Earth’s inner core is the innermost geologic layer of the planet Earth
outer core
The outer core is the third layer of the Earth
Seismic Waves
an elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means.
Oceanic Crust
the relatively thin part of the earth’s crust which underlies the ocean basins. It is geologically young compared with the continental crust and consists of basaltic rock overlain by sediments.
continental crust
the relatively thick part of the earth’s crust that forms the large landmasses. It is generally older and more complex than the oceanic crust.
density
the degree of compactness of a substance.
Alfred Wegener
a German polar researcher, geophysicist and meteorologist. During his lifetime he was primarily known for his achievements in meteorology and as a pioneer of polar research
Continental Drift
was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth’s surface
Convergent Boundary
s an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide
Divergent Boundary
occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other. Along these boundaries
Transform Boundary
a fault along a plate boundary where the motion is predominantly horizontal.
. Sea-floor Spreading
is a geologic process in which tectonic plates
