Plates Flashcards
Lithosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth consisting of the crust and upper mantle
Asthenosphere
the upper layer of the earth’s mantle which is lower than the Lithosphere
Mesosphere
the third layer of the atmosphere where the temperature decreases as altitude increases
Inner Core
the innermost geologic layer of planet Earth that is solid
Outer Core
the third layer of the Earth that is made of liquid and is on the outside of the inner core
Seismic Waves
an elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means
Oceanic Crust
the outermost layer of Earth’s lithosphere that is found under the oceans
Continental Crust
the outermost layer of Earth’s lithosphere that makes up the planet’s continents and continental shelves
Density
the volume of an earth’s layer
Alfred Wegener
a German climatologist, geologist, geophysicist, and meteorologist that came up with the theory of the continental drift
Continental Drift
the movement of continents resulting from the motion of tectonic plates
Convergent Boundary
When two tectonic plates come together
Divergent Boundary
when two tectonic plates move away from each other
Transform Boundary
places where plates slide sideways past 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
