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Levi's Science Vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
crust | the thin and solid outermost layer of the earth above the mantle |
mantle | the layer of rock between the earth's crust and core |
core | the central part of the earth below the mantle |
lithosphere | the solid outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the right upper part of the mantle |
asthenosphere | the soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move |
mesosphere | the strong lower part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core |
tectonic plate | a block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid outermost part of the mantle |
continental drift | the hypothesis that states the continents once formed a single land mass, broke up, and drifted to their present location |
seafloor spreading | the process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies |
plate tectonics | the theory that explains how large pieces of earth's outermost layer, called tectonic plates, move and change shape |