Plate Tectonics Flashcards
What is the structure of the earth
Crust, mantle , outer core, inner core
What is the inner core made of
Iron and nickel
What are the different plate margins called
divergent, convergent and conservative and collision
Define a divergent plate margin
A divergent plate margin is where the plates move away from eachother creating new crust for example the mid Atlantic ridge
Describe Conservative plate margin
When 2 plates move past eachother friction causes them to get stuck and pressure builds up and eventually they slip causing an earthquake an example of this is the San Andreas fault
Describe a convergent plate margin
When two plates collide and the denser crust ( oceanic) is pushed under
How are volcanoes formed
Volcanoes on land are usually formed on a convergent/ destructive margins when a plate slips under other
Why do people live in tectonically active places
Because the soil is good , they are too poor to move away , they can use geothermal energy
What is the difference between a composite and shield volcano
Composite volcanoes are tall, steep cones that produce explosive eruptions thick lava and pyroclastic flows Shield volcanoes form very large, gently sloped shorter volcanoes with thin / basaltic lava
What scale are earthquakes measure on and what does it go up to
The Richter scale and goes up to 10 2 on the scale is 10x bigger than 1
What is the heat of lava
Up to 1,400 degrees
What is a collision plate margin
When 2 continental plates push towards each other and go up to create fold mountains
