Restless Earth- Tectonic Plates Flashcards
What are the four layers of the Earth?
Crust
Mantle
Outer Core
Inner Core
What is the inner core?
Inner most part of the Earth, it’s a ball of solid iron and nickel that is 5000 degrees c
What is the outer core?
At the centre of the Earth, the outer core is 3000 degrees c and has liquid properties, made from iron and nickel
What’s the mantle?
Middle layer of the Earth which is made from semi-molten rock (magma), it’s up to 2800km thick
What is the crust?
Outer layer of the Earth that ranges from about 0-60km thick
What is the crust divided up into?
Tectonic plates
What are the two types of crust?
Oceanic
Continental
What are the 4 plate boundaries?
Destructive
Constructive
Conservative
Collision
What is a destructive plate margin? What forms?
An oceanic plate and a continental plate move towards eachother, causing the denser oceanic plate to sink into the mantle- destroying it
Volcanoes, Ocean Trenches
What is a constructive plate margin? What forms?
Two plates move away from eachother, causing magma to rise from the mantle and fill the gap as it cools to make new crust
Volcanoes, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
What’s a conservative plate margin? What forms?
Two plates move sideways past eachother, they can stick causing pressure to build up, when the pressure is suddenly released earthquakes occur
Earthquakes
What’s a collision plate margin?
Two continental plates move towards eachother, and because they can’t be destroyed they ‘buckle’ upwards creating fold mountains
Fold mountains
What are convection currents?
Movements within the Earth’s mantle caused by the heat of the core