Plate tectonics Flashcards
Crust
The outermost shell of a rocky planet (inner plants)
The mantel
Layer of molten rock(magma between the crust and core
Core
Made up of mostly iron.separated into the outer core (molten) and inner core (solid)
Tectonic plate
The layers of rock that make the outer part of the Earth, including the crust and upper mantel (lithospheric plates)
Continental drift theory
The theory is that content gradually drifted over time to its present position.
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of Earth about 150 miles thick, at the border between the mantle and the crust.
Convection currents
The process in which the hotter parts of a gas or liquid rise to the top and cool, denser parts sink.
Convergent boundary
When two tectonic plates come together
Mountains
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses (its where the rocks get pushed upwards)
Volcanoes
A vent or fissure in Earth’s surface through which magma and gasses are expelled.
Divergent Boundary
When tectonic plates split apart.
Transform Boundry
When tectonic plates slide past or against each other.
Fault
Breaks in the crust. The movement of the plates causes seismic waves that cause earthquakes.
Mid Ocean ridge
A long ridge of underwater volcanos between two moving away (divergent) tectonic plates.
Subduction zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts forms a trench.
