Plate Tectonics Flashcards
Evidence of continental drift
Fossils, glaciers cars, rock strata, puzzle fit
Continental drift
The idea that states like continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, can drifted to the present locations
Plate tectonics
The theory that the earth’s lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates that move around on the top of the asthenosphere.
Mid Ocean Ridge
Seafloor spreading (two pieces of oceanic crust moving away from each other).
Fault
Two plates sliding past each other.
Island arc
Oceanic crust colliding with oceanic crust.
Volcanic arc
Cushing crust colliding with continental crust, the ocean crust is subducted into the mantle
Mountain range
C vs. C
Lithosphere
Consists of just the crust.
Pangaea
The large continent Wegener thought contained all the continents.
Seafloor spreading
Results in the creation of new oceanic lithosphere.
Boundary
Where 2 tectonic plates meet
Asthenosphere
The layer in which tectonic plates float, it includes part of the crust and the upper part of the mantle
Tectonic plate movement is measured in
Centimeters per year
Convergent boundary
When two plates collide
Convection currents
Tectonic plates to move
Hotspots
Hawaiian Islands are an example of this
Oceanic crust
Denser than continental crust
Transform boundary
When two plates slide past each other
Divergent boundary
When two plates spread apart
Trenches
Produced when C vs. O
Subduction
Destroys old crust
Example of a Transform boundary
San Andreas fault
Example of divergent boundary
Midatlantic ridge
Example of C vs. C
Himalayan mountains
Example of C vs. O
Andes Mountains
Example of O vs. O
Aleutian Islands
