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PCS Earth Science

Chapter 17 Vocabulary - Plate Tectonics

TermDefinition
continental drift Wegener's hypothesis that Earth's continents were joined as a single landmass, called Pangaea, that broke apart about 200 million years ago and slowly moved to their current positions
convection process by which, in a fluid being heated, the warmer part of the mass will rise and the cooler parts will sink
convergent boundary place where two of Earth's tectonic plates are moved toward each other; is associated trenches, island arcs, and folded mountains
divergent boundary place where two of Earth's tectonic plates are moving apart; is associated with volcanism, earthquakes, and high heat flow, and is found primarily on the sea floor
isochron line on a map that connects points of the same age
magnetic reversal changes in Earth's magnetic field over geologic time, recorded in ocean-floor rocks and continental basalt flows
magnetometer device used to map the ocean floor that detects small changes in magnetic fields
paleomagnetism study of Earth's magnetic record using data gathered from iron-bearing minerals in rocks that have recorded the orientation of Earth's magnetic field at the time of their formation
Pangaea ancient landmass made up of all the continents that begin to break apart about 200 million years ago
ridge push tectonic process associated with convection currents in Earth's mantle that occurs when the weight of an elevated ridge pushes an oceanic plate toward a subduction zone
rift valley long, narrow depression that forms when continental crust begins to separate at a divergent boundary
seafloor spreading Hess' theory that new ocean crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and destroyed at deep-sea trenches; occurs in a continuous cycle of magma intrucion and spreading
slab pull tectonic process associated with convection currents in Earth's mantle that occurs as the weight of the subducting plate pulls the trailing lithosphere into a subduction zone
subduction process by which one tectonic plate slips beneath another tectonic plate
theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth's crust and upper mantle are broken into plates, which are huge rock slabs that move in different directions and at different rates over Earth's surface
transform boundary place where two tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other that is characterized by long faults and shallow earthquakes
Created by: Ms.Sala
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