Tectonic plates Flashcards
What is the Earth’s surface separated into?
Tectonic plates
What is around the core?
Mantle
Does the mantle move fast or slow?
Very slow
What is the mantle made out of?
Semi-molten rock
What is the outer layer called?
The crust
Is the crust thick or thin?
Thin
What are the two types of crust?
Continental and oceanic
What are the two features of continental crust?
Thicker, less dense
What are the two features of oceanic crust?
Thinner, more dense
Why are the plates moving?
The rock in the mantle underneath the plates is moving
What are the place the plates meet called?
Boundaries or plate margins
What are the three types of plate margins?
Destructive, constructive and conservative
What are the two plates doing in a destructive margin?
Oceanic and continental are moving towards each other
What happens in a destructive plate margin?
The oceanic plate is more dense so it is forced down into the mantle and destroyed
What does the destructive margins create?
Volcanoes and ocean trenches
What does the plates in a constructive margin do?
Both plates are moving away from each other and magma rises to fill the gap
What does a constructive margin create?
Because the magma cools down when it fills the gap it creates a new crust
What do the plates in a conservative margin do?
The two plates are moving sideways past each other or moving in the same direction but at different speeds
What does the conservative margin create?
Nothing. Crust isn’t created or destroyed
