Plate Tectonics
Terminology associated with Plate Tectonics
Terms
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- fault
- A break in Earth's crust where slabs of rock slip past each other.
- convergent boundary
- A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other.
- continental drift
- The hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface.
- plate
- A section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying pieces of continental and oceanic crust.
- rock
- The material that forms Earth's hard surface.
- destructive force
- A force that slowly wears away mountains and other features on the surface of Earth.
- inner core
- A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel in the center of Earth.
- seismic wave
- A vibration that travels through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake.
- outer core
- A layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth.
- conduction
- The transfer of heat by direct contact of particles of matter.
- constructive force
- A force that builds up mountains and landmasses on Earth's surface.
- crust
- The layer of rock that forms Earth's outer surface.
- scientific theory
- A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.
- convection current
- The movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another.
- lithosphere
- A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust.
- sea-floor spreading
- The process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor.
- granite
- A usually light-colored rock that is found in continental crust.
- asthenosphere
- The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats.
- geologist
- A scientist who studies the forces that make and shape planet Earth.
- transform boundary
- A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions.
- basalt
- A dark, dense, igneous rock with a fine texture, found in oceanic crust.
- geology
- The study of planet Earth.
- mid-ocean ridge
- The undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a divergent plate boundary.
- radiation
- The transfer of energy through empty space.
- continent
- A great landmass surrounded by oceans
- sonar
- A device that determines the distance of an object under water by recording echoes of sound waves.
- fossil
- A trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock.
- pressure
- The amount of force pushing on a surface or area.
- divergent boundary
- A plate boundary where two plates move away from each other.
- plate tectonics
- The theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle.
- Pangaea
- The name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today's continents.
- rift valley
- A deep valley that forms where two plates move apart.
- mantle
- The layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core.
- density
- The amount of mass in a given space: mass per unit volume
- heat transfer
- The movement of energy from a warmer object to a cooler object.
- convection
- The transfer of heat by movements of a heated fluid.