plate tectonics Flashcards
Lithosphere
the solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle
Asthenosphere
the soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move
Mesosphere
the strong, lower part of the the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core
Inner Core
the Earth’s innermost part and it is primarily a solid ball
Outer Core
is a fluid layer composed of mostly iron and nickel that lies above
Seismic Waves
an elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake
Oceanic Crust
thin part of the earth’s crust that underlies the ocean basins
Continental Crust
thick part of the earth’s crust that forms the large landmasses.
Density
the degree of compactness of a substance.
Alfred Wegener
German polar researcher, geophysicist and meteorologist
Continental Drift
the movement of the Earth’s continents relative to each other
Convergent Boundary
When a continental plate collides with an oceanic plate
Divergent Boundary
linear feature that exists between two tectonic plates
Transform Boundary
places where plates slide sideways past each other
Sea-floor Spreading
a process that occurs at mid-ocean ridges
Pangaea
a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic
Laurasia
he more northern of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea
Gondwana
was a supercontinent that formed from the unification of several cratons
Mesosaurus
an extinct genus of reptile from the Early Permian of southern Africa
Glossopteris
the largest and best-known genus of the extinct order of seed
