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EL & Plate Tec
Eath layers and plate tectonics
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 rigid 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 that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations |
Pangaea | the single, huge continent that scientists believed existed 245 million years ago |
sea-floor spreading | the process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies |
Convection | movement of matter that results from differences in density caused by temperature varying, causes plates to move |
inner core | solid, dense center of our planet that extends from the bottom of the outer core |
outer core | liquid layer of Earth's core, beneath mantle and surrounds inner core |
plate tectonics | large-scale movement of Earth's lithosphere, which is made up of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle |
convergent boundary | 2 plates collide - 3 types of collisions can happen at this boundary |
divergent boundary | 2 plates move away from each other |
transform boundary | 2 plates move apart/away from each other |