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. outer core (molten) and inner core (solid)

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4
Q

tectonic plate

A

the layer of rock that makes up the outer part of the earth, including the crust and upper mantle lithospheric plates

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5
Q

continental drift theory

A

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

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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

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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 earths surface through which magma and gases 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 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 long narrow valley between two diverging continental plates