Plate Tectonics Vocabulary Flashcards
Crust
The outermost shell of our planet is called crust
Mantle
Layer of molten rock between the crust and core
Core
Made up of mostly iron the outer crust is made of molten iron. The inner crust is solid.
Tectonic Plate
The layer of rock that makes up the outer part of the earth is the crust and the mantle.
Continental drift theory
They theory that the continents gradually shift over time.
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of Earth about 150 miles thick. at the border between the mantel and the crust
Convection currents
The process where the hotter liquids or gas float to the top and the cold ones go down.
Convergent boundary
When two tectonic plates come together
Mountains
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses
Volcanos
A vent or tissue in Earths surface through which magma and gases are expelled.
Divergent Boundary
When tectonic plates split apart
Transform Boundary
When tectonic plates slide past each other
Fault
Breaks in the crust the movement causes seismic waves which produce earthquakes
Mid ocean ridge
A long ridge of underwater volcanoes between two diverging ocean plates
Subduction zone
Place where one tectonic plate sinks under another one and melt also forms a trench
Rift Valley
A long narrow valley between two diverging plates
