Plate Tectonics Flashcards
Crust
The outermost shell of a rocky planet.
Mantle
A layer of molten rock the crust or core.
Core
Made of mostly iron. Separated into the outer core (molten) and inner core (solid).
Tectonic Plate
The layers of rock that makes up the outer layer of Earth, Including the crust and upper mantle (lithospheric plates)
Continental Drift theory
The theory that continents gradually drifted over time to present there positions.
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of earth that is about 150 miles thick, at the border between the mantle and the crust.
Convection Current
The process in which the hotter parts of the gas or liquid rise to the top and the cooler, denser parts sink.
Convergent Boundary
When two tectonics plates come together.
Mountains
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses.
Volcanoes
A vent or fissure in the earth’s surface through which magma and gases are expelled.
Divergent Boundary
When tectonic plates Split apart.
Transform Boundary
When tectonic plates slides past each other.
Fault
Breaks in the crust. The movement causes seismic waves which produces earthquakes.
Mid-Ocean Ridge
A long ridge underwater volcanoes between by two diverging oceanic plates.
Subduction Zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts. Also, forms a trench.
