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 {molten} and inner core {solid}
Continental Drift theory
The theory that continents gradually drifted over time to their present positions.
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of earth, about 150 miles thick, at the border between the mantle and the crust.
Convection current
The process in witch the hotter parts of a gas or liquid rise to the top and the cooler, denser parts sink.
Convergent Boundary
When two tectonic plates come together.
transform boundary
when tectonic plates slide past each other.
Mountains
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses.
Volcanoes
A vent of fissure in Earths surface through witch magma and gases are expelled.
fault
Breaks in the crust. The movement causes seismic waves witch produces earthquakes.
Mid ocean ridge
A long ridge of water volcanos between two diverging oceanic plates
Subduction zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts. Also forms a trench
Rift valley
A long valley between two diverting continental plates.
