Plate Tectonics Flashcards
Lithosphere
The solid,outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle
Athenosphere
the soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move
Mesosphere
The strong,lower part of the the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core
Inner core
Solid,dense center of our planet that extends from the bottom of the outer core to the center of the Earth
Outer Core
The liquid layer of the Earth’s core that lies beneath the mantle and surrounds the inner core
Seismic Waves
an elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means.
Oceanic crust
the relatively thin part of the earth’s crust which underlies the ocean basins. It is geologically young compared with the continental crust and consists of basaltic rock overlain by sediments.
Continental Crust
oscillatory phenomena migrating along the continental margins, controlled by the interplay of rotation and bathymetric gradients
DEnsity
Density is the substance’s mass per unit of volume
Alfred Wegener
a German climatologist, geologist, geophysicist, meteorologist, and polar researcher
Continental Drift
The hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
Convergent Boundary
the boundary formed by the collision of two lithospheric plates
Divergent Boundary
the boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other
Transform Boundary
the boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally
Sea-floor Spreading
The process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as a magma rises toward the surface and solidifies.
