Science Chapter 10 Vocabulary Plate Tectonics

Question 1

Large ancient landmass that was composed of all the continents joined together

Answer 1

Pangaea

Question 2

Wegener’s hypothesis that all continents were once connected in a single large landmass that broke apart about 200 million years ago and drifted slowly to their current positions

Answer 2

Continental drift

Question 3

Hess’s theory that new seafloor is formed when magma is forced upward toward the surface of the mid Ocean Ridge

Answer 3

Seafloor spreading

Question 4

Theory that Earth’s crust and upper mantle are broken into plates that float and move around on a plastic like layer of the mantle

Answer 4

Plate tectonics

Question 5

A large section of Earth’s oceanic or continental crust and rigid upper mantle that moves around the astenasphere

Answer 5

Plate

Question 6

A rigid layer of earth about 100 km thick made of the crust and a part of the upper mantle

Answer 6

Lithosphere

Question 7

Plastic like layer of earth On which lithospheric plates float and move around

Answer 7

Asthenosphere

Question 8

Current in Earth’s mantle that transfers heat in Earth’s interior and is the driving force for plate tectonics.

Answer 8

Convection current