Plate tectonics Flashcards
Crust
The outermost shell of a rocky planet.
Mantle
layer of molten rock between the crust and the core.
Core
Made up of mostly iron. Separated in the outer core (Molten) and inner core (solid)
Tectonic plate
The layer or rock that makes up the outer part of the earth, including the rust and upper mantle. (lithosphere)
continental drift theory
The theory continents gradually drifted over time to present positions.
asthenosphere
A thin layer of earth about 150 miles thick, at the border between the mantle and the crust.
convection current
The process in which the hotter parrts of gas or liquide rise to the top and 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 earths suface through which magma and gases are expelled.
Divergent Boundary
When tectonic plates split apart
Transform Boundary
When tectonic plates slide past each other
Fault
Breaks the crust. The movement causes seismic waves which produces earthquakes.
Mid-ocean ridge
A long ride of underwater volcanoes between two diverging oceanic plates.
Subdution zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts. Also formes a trench.
