click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
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 |