Tectonics Flashcards
What is plate tectonics?
Plate tectonics is a theory that explains how the Earth’s crust is divided into a number of plates that move and interact with each other.
What are the types of plate boundaries?
There are three types of plate boundaries: constructive, destructive, and transform (conservative), collision and transform
What happens at a collision plate boundary?
two continental plates collide, neither can sink and so the land buckles upwards to form fold mountains.
What happens at a constructive plate boundary?
At a constructive plate boundary, two plates are moving away from each other. This can cause the formation of mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys. An example is the mid Atlantic ridge.
What happens at a destructive plate boundary?
At a destructive plate boundary, two plates are moving towards each other. This can cause the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes. An example is the pacific ring of fire (pacific plate)
What happens at a transform plate boundary?
At a transform plate boundary, two plates are sliding past each other horizontally. This can cause the formation of transform faults and earthquakes. An example is the san andreas fault.
What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is a sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by the movement of tectonic plates.
What is a tsunami?
A tsunami is a series of large ocean waves caused by an underwater earthquake or other underwater disturbance.
What is a volcano?
A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s surface through which magma, ash, and gases can be ejected.
What is the focus of an earthquake?
The focus of an earthquake is the point beneath the Earth’s surface where the seismic activity originates.
What is the epicentre of an earthquake?
The epicentre of an earthquake is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus.
What is the Richter scale?
The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake.
What is the Mercalli scale?
The Mercalli scale is a scale used to measure the intensity of an earthquake based on the observed effects on people, buildings, and the environment.
What are some common effects of earthquakes?
Some common effects of earthquakes include ground shaking, ground rupture, landslides, and tsunamis.
How can earthquakes be predicted?
Earthquakes cannot be predicted with certainty, but scientists can use historical data to identify areas that are at higher risk of earthquakes and monitor for signs of potential seismic activity.
What is a P wave?
A P wave, or primary wave, is a type of seismic wave that travels through the Earth’s interior and is the first to arrive at a seismic station as it is the fastest seismic wave. P waves are compressional waves and can travel through solid, liquid, and gas.
What is an S wave?
An S wave, or secondary wave, is a type of seismic wave that travels through the Earth’s interior and arrives at a seismic station after the P wave. S waves are shear waves and can only travel through solid material.
What is a surface wave?
A surface wave is a type of seismic wave that travels along the Earth’s surface and is the last to arrive at a seismic station. Surface waves are the most destructive type of seismic wave and can cause the most damage during an earthquake.
What is a Love wave?
A Love wave is a type of surface wave that moves the ground from side to side in a horizontal motion. Love waves are the most destructive type of surface wave.
What are the layers of the earth?
The crust (400’c, less dense), the mantle (870’c, less to medium density), the outer core (4400’c to 6100’c, dense) and the inner core (7000’c, very dense)
What is paleomagnetism?
Paleomagnetism is the study of the Earth’s ancient magnetic field and how it has changed over time.
What is mantle convection?
Mantle convection is the process by which heat is transferred within the Earth’s mantle through the movement of material.
What is subduction?
Subduction is the process by which one tectonic plate is pushed under another tectonic plate as they collide.
What is slab pull?
Slab pull is the force that drives the movement of a tectonic plate towards a subduction zone. Slab pull is caused by the weight of the plate and the friction with the mantle as the plate sinks into the subduction zone.
