Plate Tectonics Flashcards

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1
Q

German Scientist that studied plate tectonics and the continental drift theory

A

Alfred Wegener

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2
Q

Supercontinent of all the continents

A

Pangea

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3
Q

Theory that continents are in constant motion on Earth’ surface

A

Continental Drift

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4
Q

four evidences of Continental Drift

A

Similar rocks on different continents
Coastlines lined up like a puzzle
Same fossils found on different continents
glacial grooves

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5
Q

Name six facts about Alfred Wegener

A
Died in 1930
Born in Berlin 1880
Fifth of five children
Father was a minister
Parents ran orphanage up to 15 orphans
Loved to read
Meteorologist
Astronomer
Geo-physicist
Studied climates
Four polar expeditions
First man in world to use kites and balloons to study weather
In 1906 his brother kurt and him set a world record for balloon flight of 52 and 1/2 hour
Two days and four and a half hours
Went on first expedition to greenland in 1908
No one believed his theories at first
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6
Q

The longest chain of mountains on Earth.

A

Mid-Ocean Ridge

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7
Q

Worlds longest ridge, running the length of the Atlantic Ocean, because the north and south american plates are divergent moves from Eurasian and African plates.

A

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

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8
Q

A deep valley formed under water as tectonic plates move apart. Red Sea was formed this way.

A

Rift Valleys

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9
Q

Heated rocks rise in columns from the mantle. Volcanoes usually develop above the plumes at the surface of a tectonic plate. Volcanoes may rise high enough above the sea to form islands. Hawaii islands formed this way.

A

Hot Spots

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10
Q

When the North Pole magnetic field changes with the South Poles magnetic field. 4-5 reversals every million years.

A

Magnetic Reversal

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11
Q

When a plate descends into earth along a convergent plate boundary.

A

Subduction

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12
Q

Layers of the Earth

A
Inner Core
Outer Core
Mantle
Asthenosphere
Lithosphere
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13
Q

Large slabs of rock that fit together like a puzzle. Make up the surface of the earth.

A

Tectonic Plates

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14
Q

The hot soft rock rises, cools, at the top of the cycle and sinks, then is heated again and rises, a motion that transfers heat in a material. Very slow process.

A

Convection Current

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15
Q

Wegener observed the similarities of coastlines between continents that were separated by _____.

A

oceans

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16
Q

Fossils of plants and animals that lived in wet, warm climates are in areas that now have _________ climates.

A

cold

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17
Q

Wegener suggested that these continents were covered by a large sheets of ________.

A

ice

18
Q

Wegener proposed that certain continents-including South america and Australia-were closer to the _________ pole 250 million years ago.

A

south pole

19
Q

What is on continents that currently have warm climates show that these continents once had cold climates.

A

glacial grooves

20
Q

Evidence of continental drift also includes __________ on different continents that have similar or identical chemistry, geologic structure, and age.

A

mountains (i think)

21
Q

Additional evidence to prove Wegener’s hypothesis existed on the _______ between the drifting continents.

A

seafloor

22
Q

Coal beds in Antarctica suggest that the continent once had a warm climate. TRUE or FALSE

A

true

23
Q

molten rock cools and becomes _________

A

basalt

24
Q

Magnetic stripes on either side of the ridge is parallel on the same sides TRUE OR FALSE

A

true

25
Q

______________ are mountain ranges in the oceans, where the crust is young and there is almost no sediment.

A

mid ocean ridges

26
Q

Ocean-Ocean

A

the collision of the tectonic plates and the seafloor spreads

27
Q

Ocean-Continent

A

line of volcanoes and it forms volcanoes

28
Q

Continent-Continent

A

when two plates collide and it forms mountains

29
Q

what type of plate occurs between the north American Plate and the Eurasian Plate

A

divergent

30
Q

What does coal beds have to do with Antarctica. What’s their significance

A

Coal is remains from dead animals. There is no way the fossils found in Antarctica could have lived in such cold weather. This shows us that not only have the continents moved but the Earth weather has also changed.

31
Q

What did early mapmakers find

A

They found that fossils of exactly the same plants and animals were located on continents that are separated by thousands of miles of oceans

32
Q

Sediment forms on top of the oldest oceanic crust creating a smooth seafloor named what?

A

abyssal

33
Q

When new oceanic crust forms along the mid-ocean ridge OLDER crust moves away from the ridge TRUE OR FALSE

A

true

34
Q

Norman Polarity is when a magnet points North and Reverse Polarity is when it points South TRUE OR FALSE

this is known as what

A

true, magnetic reversal

35
Q

What is subduction

A

when plates collide and the plates that are denser slides under less-dense plate

36
Q

Convergent Plate Boundary

A

push together

37
Q

Divergent Plate Boundary

A

move apart

38
Q

Transform Plate Boundary

A

rub/scrape

39
Q

What material is something that is capable of changing its shape without breaking

A

plastic

40
Q

mountain ranges and rocks share common origins TRUE OR FALSE

A

true