Theory of plate tectonics Flashcards
1
Q
What are plate tectonics
A
the study of the process that causes the movement of the earth’s plate and the landforms that result.
2
Q
What is the tectonic cycle?
A
when convection currents drag the plates along as they circulate causing them to collide and separate.
3
Q
Who discovered continental drift?
A
Wegner
4
Q
Who discovered sea-floor spreading?
A
Hess
5
Q
What did Vine and Matthews do?
A
They put together the earliest ideas of continental drift and sea-floor spreading to form the basis of the plate tectonic theory we know today. They also mapped the dstrubution of earthquakes and volcanoes, revealing that the crust is broken into plates.
