Topic 8: Dynamic Earth Flashcards
Lithosphere
The upper part of the earth’s layers consisting of the crust and upper mantle
Asthenosphere
The upper layer in the mantle in which there is a plastic flow of magma
Mantle
The layer between the crust and the core and consists of hot rocks
Core
The core is a giant sphere made of iron and nickel in which is believed to spin that creates heat
Seismic Waves
Waves in which they can travel through the earth caused by earthquakes
Continental Drift
Movement of the plates in the earths crust
Pangaea
All the continents when they were joined together
Panthalassa
The large sea that surrounded pangaea
Plate Tectonics
The theory behind the movement of the continental plates
Mantle
A thick layer below the crust consisting of liquid rock
Convection Current
Circular movement that occurs when warmer, less dense fluid particles rise and cooler, denser fluid particles sink
Continental Crust
The plates of the earths crust that makes land
Oceanic Crust
A thin layer of crust found at the bottom of deep oceans consisting of rocks such as basalt
Boundaries
The edge of tectonic plates
Subduction
Process in which two tectonic plates push against each other, and oceanic crust sinks below the less dense continental crust
Destructive Plate Boundaries
A boundary where two plates collide
Constructive Plate Boundaries
Plates that creates land from the cooling of magma
Ocean Ridges
When plates move apart and form underwater volcanoes from the release of magma
Conservative Plate Boundaries
Where two plates slide against each other
Laurasia & Gondwanaland
The name of the two smaller continents broke apart 200 million years ago
Hotspots
A place where activity occurs
Tremor
Vibration of the earths surface
Epicentre
The point at which seismic waves strikes first
Focus
The point in a fault where the earthquake begins
Triangulation
The point were three seismographs detect an earthquake
Seismograph
A machine which records seismic waves
Richter Scale
The scale that records the amount of energy in an earthquake
P Waves
The first wave of a tremor which is the fastest and strongest wave that can travel through solids and liquids
S waves
The second wave of a tremor which is half speed and strength of a primary wave and can only travel through liquid
