plate tectonics Flashcards
crust
the outermost shell of a rocky planet
mantle
Layers of molten rock between the crust and core
core
made up of lron. separated into the outer core molten and inner core solid
tectonic plant
The layer of rock that make up the outer part of the earth including the crust and upper mantle lithospheric plates.
continental Drift theory
the theory 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 current
the process in which the hotter part of a gas or liquid rise to the top and the cooler denser parts sink down .
convergent boundary
when two tectonic plates come together slowly.
mountains
uplift of crustal plates that elevated landmasses.
volcanoes
A vent or fissure in Earths surface 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 in the crust the movement cusses seismic waves which produces earthquakes
mid ocean ridge
A long ridge of underwater volcanoes between two diverging oceanic plates
subsection zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts Also forms a trench.