Plate Tentonics Flashcards
Crust
The outermost shell of a rocky planet.
Mantle
Layer of molten rock between the crust and the core.
Core
Made up of mostly Iron. Separated into the outer core molten and inner core solid.
Tentonic plate
The layer of rock that makes up the outer part of the earth.
Continental drift theory
The theory that continents drifted to its current place.
Asthenosphere
A thin layer of earth about 150 miles between the mantle and the crust.
Convection currents
The process in which the hotter parts of a gas or liquid rise to the top and the cooler denser parts sink.
Convergent boundary
When two tectonic plates come together.
Mountain
Uplift of crustal plates that form elevated landmasses.
Volcanos
A vent or fissure in earths surface through which magma and gases are expelled.
Divergent boundary
When tectonic plates move away from each other.
Transform boundary
When tectonic plates slide past each other.
Fault
Breaks in the crust. The moment causes seismic waves which produces earthquakes.
Mid-ocean ridge
A long ridge of underwater volcanoes between two diverging oceanic plates.
Subduction zone
A place where one tectonic plate sinks under another and melts, also forms a trench.
