Plate Tectonics Basics Flashcards
1
Q
Q: What is the lithosphere?
A
A: The Earth’s rigid outer layer, made up of the crust and the uppermost mantle, broken into tectonic plates.
2
Q
Q: What causes tectonic plates to move?
A
A: Convection currents in the viscous asthenosphere beneath the lithosphere.
3
Q
Q: What is plate tectonics?
A
A: The movement of Earth’s lithosphere plates, explaining continental drift and geological features like mountains and earthquakes.
4
Q
Q: What did Alfred Wegener propose?
A
A: The theory of continental drift, suggesting continents were once connected but lacked a mechanism for movement.
