Plate Tectonics Flashcards
Lithosphere
Outermost ridge layer of the Earth.
Asthenosphere
The upper layer of the Earths mantle. (Below the Lithosphere.)
Mesoshpere
The region above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere.
Inner Core
The Earth’s innermost part.
Outer Core
The Earth’s outermost part.
Seismic Waves
An elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means.
Oceanic Crust
The thin part of the earth’s crust that underlies the ocean basins.
Continental Crust
The thick part of the earth’s crust that forms the large landmasses.
Density
The degree of compactness of a substance.
Wegener
A researcher that discovered the continental drift.
Continental Drift
The gradual movement of the continents across the earth’s surface through geological time.
Convergent Boundary
An actively deforming region where two tectonic plates or fragments of the lithosphere move toward one another and collide.
Divergent Boundary
A linear feature that exists between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other.
Transform Boundary
Where two of the tectonic plates slide alongside each other.
Sea Floor Spreading
the formation of new areas of oceanic crust, which occurs through the upwelling of magma at midocean ridges and its subsequent outward movement on either side.
