plate tectonics Flashcards
crust
The outermost shell of a rocky planet.
mantle
layer of molten rock between the crust and the core
core
made up of mostly iron. seperated into the outer core (molten) and inner core (solid)
tectonic plates
The layer of rock that make up the outer part of the earth including the crust and upper mantle (lithosphere)
Continental drift theory
The theory that gradually drift over time to their present position.
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of earth about 150 miles thick, at the border between the mantle and the crust.
convection current
The process in which the hotter part of the gas rise to the top and the cooler part sinks to the bottom
Convergent boundary
Two tectonic plates come together
mountains
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmass
Volcano
A vent or fissure in earths surface through which magma and gasses are expelled
Divergent boundary
When tectonic plates split apart.
Transform boundary
When tectonic plates that slide pat each other
Fault
Breaks i the crust. the movement causes seismic waves that cause earth quakes
MId ocean ridge
A long ridge of underwater volcano of 2 diverging oceanic plates
Subduction Zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts. Also forms a trench.
