Plate Tectonics Flashcards
What is plate tectonics?
A: a theory that states the solid outer shell of the Earth is made of lithospheric fragments called plates that constantly move relative to each other
What does plate tectonics explain?
A: volcanoes, Earthquakes, oceans and continents, mountains ranges, mineral deposits, oil deposits, the structure of the earth and the movements in the lithosphere and asthenosphere
What is the theory of continental drift?
A: the theory that states the Earth’s continents once formed a super continent that broke and moved apart.
Proof of the the Continental drift?
The shape of the Continents fit together like a puzzle piece
What are the two most famous continents that fit together?
A: South America and Africa
What was also proof of the continental drift theory?
Sites of fossils, rock formations and sequences, mountain ranges and ancient climate regions.
What is the sea floor spreading theory?
A theory that states that the seafloor forms along the MOR and it continues to move away from it.
What is the evidence for this?
The MOR, The Rift Valley, the age of the seafloor and magnetic reversals
What is a Magnetic Anomaly?
A: it is a measured magnetic field strength
What are hotspots?
They are a underground cauldrons that are under volcanoes that contain lava
What are the evidences for plate tectonics?
A: theory of continental Drift, seafloor spreading, features and processes at plate boundaries and hotspots
What is the Polar Wander?
A law where a rock faces the magnetic North Pole at the time of its formation
What have GPS satellites found out about the continents?
The Continents are slowly, but constantly moving
Are Magnetic Anomalies positive and negative or just negative?
A: they are both positive and negative
Where are positive Magnetic anomalies found?
A: above seafloor rocks
