Plate tectonics Flashcards
The solid outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle
Lithosphere
The soft layer of the mantle on which the technonic plates move
asthenosphere
The strong, lower part of the mantle between the asebosphere and the outer core
Mesosphere
The solid, dense center of our planet that extends from the bottom of the outer core to beneath the surface
Inner Core
The liquid layer of the Earth’s core that lies beneath the mantle that surrounds the inner core
Outer Core
An elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means.
Seismic Waves
the outermost layer of Earth’s lithosphere that is found under the oceans and formed at spreading centres on oceanic ridges, which occur at divergent plate boundaries.
Ocean crust
The relatively thick part of the earth’s crust that forms the large landmasses. It is generally older and more complex than the oceanic crust.
Continental Crust
The degree of compactness of a substance.
Density
Came up with the theory on continental drift
Alfred Wegnener
The hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
Continental Drift
The boundary formed by the collision of twp lithospheric plates
Convergent Boundary
The boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other
Divergent Boundary
The boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally
Transform Boundary
The process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma rises toward the surface and solidfies
Sea-floor Spreading
This means all the Earth.
Pangaea
Laurasia was the more northern of two large landmasses that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from around 335 to 175 million years ago
Laurasia
Often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic and began to break up during the Jurassic period
Gondwana
An extinct small aquatic reptile of the early Permian period, with an elongated body, flattened tail, and a long, narrow snout with numerous pointed teeth
Mesosaurus
The largest and best-known genus of the extinct Permian order of seed ferns
Glossopteris
