Plate tectonics Flashcards
Crust
Rocky, brittle outer layer, earths surface
Mantle
thick, middle layer, made of magnesium and iron silicate, tar like, flows like silly putty
inner core
dense metallic center, made of iron and nickel, all of the pressure is on it.
outer core
liquid, very hot.
Asthenosphere
upper mantle, hot and soft, plasticy, flows like thick liquid
Continental Drift
All of the contients were once connected because they have lots of clues that point towards it
Mid-ocean ridge
long, tall mountain range in the ocean where 2 plates diverge
Seafloor spreading
rocks get older farther away from the mid-ocean ridge, magma/rock comes out of the mid-ocean ridge
normal polarity
geographic north is magnetic north
reversed polarity
geographic south is magnetic north
magnetic reversal
when the magnetic north and south switches
plate tectonics
The movement of Earth’s plates to form different landforms and dramatically changes itself.
lithosphere
crust and uppermost mantle, similar kind and physical state as rocks, forms tectonic plates.
Divergent plate boundary
pull away from each other.new crust is generated. forms. mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys.
Convergent plate boundary
where crust comes together. creates subduction Mariana trench, mountains, volcanoes
transform plate boundary
Crust slides horizontally past each other. creates fault zones and faults.
subduction
One plate slides under the other to create a trench.
convection
the mantle creating plate tectonics
ridge push
rising magma at the mid-ocean ridge
slab pull
during subduction, one plate sinks under another slab of crust
basal drag
the movement of magma under the crust that causes everything to be pushed along like a conveyor belt
Alfred Wegener
developed the hypothesis of Continental drift
