Plate Tectonics

Question 1

Hat is the inner core?

Answer 1

Centre, solid ball of iron/nickel, very hot due to pressure and radioactive decay (contains elements such as uranium), this heat is responsible for earths internal energy and it spreads throughout, solid

Question 2

What is the outcome?

Answer 2

Semi-molten (thick liquid), made out of iron/nickel

Question 3

What is the mantle?

Answer 3

Mainly solid rocks high in silicon, the top of the mantle is the asthenosphere

Question 4

What is the asthenosphere?

Answer 4

Semi-molten, moves due to convection currents, powered by heat from core, below the lithosphere

Question 5

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 5

Broken up into plates, majority of the lithospheres is within the mantle, the top of the lithosphere is the crust

Question 6

What is the crust?

Answer 6

The thin top of the lithosphere, oceanic crust is dense and is destroyed by plate movement, continental crust is less dense and is not destroyed

Question 7

What are tectonic plates?

Answer 7

Large slabs of rocks broken up from the lithosphere, the edges of where plates meet are called plate boundaries/margins

Question 8

What are convection currents?

Answer 8

Is the circulation of magma in the mantle (asthenosphere) which push and pull plates in different directions, causes when the less dense magma rises, cools then sinks

Question 9

What is the Coriolis Effect?

Answer 9

The earths spin affects the movement of air masses and winds depending on a locations latitude