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Geology
Unit 7 Geology
Question | Answer |
---|---|
plate | A rigid, but moving piece of the earth's crust. |
Plate Tectonics theory | The theory of the formation and movement of the plates that cover the Earth's surface. |
Continental Drift | Hypothesis that earth's continents have slowly moved over time. |
divergent boundary | A plate boundary where two plates move away from each other. |
convergent boundary | A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other. |
transform boundary | A plate boundary where two plates slide past each other. |
fault | A break in the earth's crust. |
rift valley | A deep valley that forms at a divergent plate boundary. |
convection current | The circular movement of a liquid or gas substance caused by differences in temperature. (ex. lava lamps) |
trench | Deep oceanic valley that forms where oceanic plates are subducting. |
mid-ocean ridge | Underwater chain of mountains that forms at divergent plate boundaries. |
Alfred Wegener | The scientist who developed the idea of continental drift. |
Pangaea | The name of a single landmass that broke apart 225 million years ago. |
subduction | The process in which an oceanic plate sinks beneath a less dense plate at a convergent plate boundary. |
seafloor spreading | The process by which new ocean floor is being created at divergent plate boundaries. |
topographic map | Maps that show contour lines for elevation. |
contour line | A line that connects points of equal value. On a topographic map these lines connect points of equal elevation. |
delta | A landform usually in the shape of a bird's foot created by the deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river. |
Earthquake | The rapid movement at a plate boundary or fault that releases waves of energy across the earth. |