Plate Tectonics Flashcards
Crust
The outermost shell of a rocky planet
Mantle
Layer of molten rock between the crust and core
Core
Made up of mostly Iron. separated into the outer core and inner core
Tectonic Plate
The layer of rock that makes up the outer part of the earth, including the crust and upper mantle (lithospheric plates)
Continental drift theory
The theory the continents gradually drifted over time to their present positions
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of earth about 150 miles thick at 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 cooler denser parts sink
Convergent boundary
when two tectonic plates come together
Mountains
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmass.
Volcanoes
A vent of fissure in earths surface thorough which magma and gasses are expelled
Divergent boundary
When a tectonic plates split apart
Transform boundaries
When a tectonic plates slide past each other
Fault
Break in the crust. The movement causes seismic waves which produces earthquakes
Mid-Ocean Ridge
A long ridge of underwater volcanoes between two diverging oceanic plates
Subduction Zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts also forms a trench
