Plate tectonics Flashcards

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1
Q

crust

A

The outermost shell of a rocky planet

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2
Q

mantle

A

Layer of molten rock between the crust and core

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3
Q

core

A

made up of mostly iron. Separated into the outer core

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4
Q

continental drift theory

A

The theory that continents gradually drifted over time to their present positions

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5
Q

Tectonic plates

A

The layer of rock that makes up the outer part of the earth including the crust and upper mantle

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6
Q

Asthenosphere

A

A thin layer of earth about 150 miles thick at the border between the mantle and the crust

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7
Q

Convection current

A

The process in which the hotter parts of a gas or liquid rise to the top and the cooler, denser parts sink

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8
Q

convergent boundary

A

when two tectonic plates come together

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9
Q

mountains

A

uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses

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10
Q

volcanoes

A

A vent or fissure in earth’s surface through which magma and gasses are expelled

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11
Q

divergent boundary

A

when tectonic plates split apart

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12
Q

Transform boundary

A

When tectonic plates slide past each other

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13
Q

fault

A

Breaks in the crust the movement causes seismic waves which produces earthquakes

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14
Q

mid-ocean ridge

A

A long ridge of underwater volcanoes between two diverging oceanic plates

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15
Q

subduction zone

A

A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts also forms a trench

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16
Q

rift valley

A

A log narrow valley between two diverging continental plates