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Plate Tectonics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Asthenosphere | The upper layer of the earth's mantle, below the lithosphere, in which there is relatively low resistance to plastic flow and convection is thought to occur. |
| Continental Drift | The gradual movement of the continents across the earth's surface through geological time. |
| Lithosphere | The rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle. |
| Pangaea | Is a hypothetical supercontinent that included all current land masses, believed to have been in existence before the continents broke apart during the Triassic and Jurassic Periods. |
| Plate | A theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and many associated phenomena as resulting from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates that move slowly over the underlying mantle. |
| Plate Tectonics | A theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and many associated phenomena as resulting from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates that move slowly over the underlying mantle. |
| Seafloor Spreading | The formation of new areas of oceanic crust, which occurs through the upwelling of magma at midocean ridges and its subsequent outward movement on either side. |
| Earthquake | A sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action. |
| Epicenter | The point on the earth's surface vertically above the focus of an earthquake. |
| Fault | (of a rock formation) be broken by a fault or faults. |
| Focus | A central point or region, such as the point at which an earthquake starts. |
| Magnitude | The great size or extent of something. |
| Normal Fault | Occurs where two blocks of rock are pulled apart, as by tension. |
| Reverse Fault | Occurs where two blocks of rock are forced together by compression. |
| Seismic Wave | An elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means. |
| Seismograph | An instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration. |
| Strike-Slip Fault | A fault in which rock strata are displaced mainly in a horizontal direction, parallel to the line of the fault. |
| Tsunami | A long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance. |
| Batholith | A very large igneous intrusion extending deep in the earth's crust. |
| Caldera | A large volcanic crater, typically one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano. |
| Cinder Cone Volcano | A steep, conical hill consisting of glassy volcanic fragments that accumulate around and downwind from a volcanic vent. |
| Dike | A long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea. |
| Hot Spot | A small area or region with a relatively hot temperature in comparison to its surroundings. |
| Shield Volcano | A broad, domed volcano with gently sloping sides, characteristic of the eruption of fluid, basaltic lava. |
| Sill | A tabular sheet of igneous rock intruded between and parallel with the existing strata. |
| Volcano | A mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor, and gas are being or have been erupted from the earth's crust. |
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