plate techtonics Flashcards
Lithosphere
the solid outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle
Asthenosphere
the soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move
Mesosphere
the strong lower part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core
Inner Core
this solid dense center of our planet that extends from the bottom of the outer core to the Center of the Earth which is about 6380 kilometers beneath the surface
Outer Core
the liquid layer of the Earth’s core that Lies Beneath the mantle and surrounds the inner core
Seismic Waves
vibrations that happen during an earthquake
Density
the mass of an object
Alfred Wegener
he wrote about his hypothesis of continental drift in the early 1900s
Continental Drift
the hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
Convergent Boundary
the boundary formed by the Collision of two lithospheric plates
Divergent Boundary
the boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other
Transform Boundary
the boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally
Sea-floor Spreading
the process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms of magma rises towards the surface and solidifies
Pangaea
it existed when some of the earliest dinosaurs were roaming the Earth.
Laurasia
the northern piece of what was once Pangaea
