Plate Tectonics Flashcards
Crust definition
The outermost shell of a rocky planet
Mantle definition
Layer of molten rock between the crust and core
Core definition
Made up of mostly Iron, separated into the outer core (molten) and inner core (solid)
Tectonic definition
The layer if rock that makes up the outer part of the earth, including the crust and upper mantle (lithospheric plates)
Continental Drift Theory definition
The theory that continents gradually drifted over time to their present positions
Asthenosphere definition
A thin layer of earth about 150 miles thick at the border between the mantle and the crust
Convection Current definition
The process in which the hotter parts of a gas liquid rise to the top and the cooler, denser parts sink
Convergent Boundary definition
When two tectonic plates come together
Mountains definition
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses
Volcanoes definition
A vent or fissure in earths surface through which magma and gases are expelled
Divergent Boundary
When tectonic plates split apart
Transform boundary
When tectonic plates slide past each other
Fault
Breaks in the crust, the movement causes seismic waves which produces earthquakes
Mid-Ocean Ridge
a long ride 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
