Unit 1 Flashcards
Convection Currents
Heat driven cycles occurring in the ocean caused by a difference in temperature, cause plate tectonics to move
3 Main Boundary Types
Convergent, Divergent, Transform
Convergent
Plates coming together
Divergent
Plates moving away from each other
Transform
Plates sliding past each other
Lithosphere
The crust and upper mantle of the Earth
What is the Earth’s mantle?
A layer of the Earth that contributes to the evolution of the crust and the movement of the tectonic plates
What is subduction?
When two tectonic plates meet and one slides under the other.
What features are at subduction zones?
Volcanoes and mountains
What is a hot spot?
An area of the ocean where the tectonic plates move over a hot part of the Earth’s mantle and lava leaks through
What is a hydrothermal vent?
An area underwater where water meets lava.
How does seafloor become recycled?
When the rock gets old enough it is recycled into the mantle at subduction zones
Latitude
The north and south distance of the Earth’s equator (in degrees)
Longitude
The east and west distance of the Earth’s equator (in degrees)
Continental Margin
The area of transition between land and seafloor
Ocean Basin
Any area on Earth that is covered by water
Active Margin
Near plate boundaries; high volcanic activity
Passive Margin
Far from plate boundaries; low volcanic activity
What are the three parts of a Continental Margin?
Shelf, Rise, and Deep Ocean Floor
What are the two types of sediment?
Terrigenous and Biogenous
Terrigenous Sediment
Comes from land (erosion, volcanic activity, wind transported materials)
Biogenous Sediment
Comes from the skeletal remains of marine organisms (coral, plankton, sea urchin spines)
What are contour lines?
Lines on a map of the ocean that indicate sea floor elevation.
What are polymetallic nodules and why are they important?
Groups of valuable minerals on the seafloor (cobalt, manganese, titanium). These minerals power modern day technology that our society has become dependent on.
