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).
Tectonic Plate
The layer of rock that makes up the outer part of the earth, including the crust and upper mantle (lithospheric plates)
Continental drift theory
The theory that continents gradually drifted over time to their present position.
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of earth, about 150 miles thick, at the border between the mantle and the crust.
Convection currents
Are the processes in which the hotter parts of gas or liquid rise to the top and the cooler, denser parts sink.
Convergent boundury
When two tectonics plate comes together.
Mountains
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses.
volcanoes
A vent fissure in earth’s surface through mag a and gasses 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 of the plates which produce earthquakes.
Mid-Ocean ridge
A long ridge 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.
