Plate Tectonics Flashcards
Lithosphere
the soild, 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 layer
Inner Core
The inner core is the fourth layer inside the Earth
Outer Core
Earth’s outer core is a fluid layer about 2,400 km thick and composed of mostly iron and nickel
Seismic Waves
a wave of energy that travles through the earth, away froman earthquake in all directions
Oceanic Crust
the outermost layer of Earth’s lithosphere that is found under the oceans
Continental Crust
the outermost layer of Earth’s lithosphere
Density
Density is the number of things
Alfred Wegener
Alfred Lothar Wegener was a German climatologist, geologist, geophysicist, meteorologist, and polar researcher
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 lithosspheric 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 as magma rises toward the surface and solidfies
