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TECTONIC PLATES
6.10CD TECTONIC PLATES
Term | Definition |
---|---|
TECTONIC PLATES | Huge pieces of lithosphere that slowly move on the asthenosphere & consist of the crust & the rigid, uppermost part of the mantle. |
NORTH AMERICAN PLATE | Tectonic plate division of the lithosphere that includes the continental crust of Greenland, N. America, Siberia, & the surrounding oceanic crust. |
EURASIAN PLATE | Tectonic plate division of the lithosphere, including most of the landmasses of Europe & Asia. |
AFRICAN PLATE | Tectonic plate division of the lithosphere that includes the continental crust of Africa & the surrounding oceanic crust. |
SOUTH AMERICAN PLATE | Tectonic plate division of the lithosphere that includes the continental crust of S. America & the oceanic crust extending to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. |
INDO-AUSTRALIAN PLATE | Tectonic plate division of the lithosphere that includes the continental crust of India & Australia & the surrounding oceanic crust. |
PACIFIC PLATE | Tectonic plate division of the lithosphere that's composed entirely of oceanic crust & lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. |
ANTARCTIC PLATE | Tectonic plate division of the lithosphere that includes the continental crust of Antarctica & the surrounding oceanic crust. |
DENSITY OF PLATES | Amount of matter in a given space or volume; oceanic crust is thinner, but denser than continental crust. |
CRUSTAL ROCK MATERIAL | Crust can be either oceanic, which is thin & dense, or continental, which is thick & less dense. |
PLATE BOUNDARY | Place where 2 different plates have contact. |
CONVERGENT BOUNDARY | Occurs when 2 tectonic plates move toward each other & collide; "CON-" = WITH. |
SUBDUCTION | Process in which a denser plate is pushed downward beneath a less dense plate when plates converge; occurs at continental to oceanic boundaries & oceanic to oceanic boundaries. |
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS | Events in which molten rock spews out from the mantle to Earth's surface as ash, lava, & gases; major geological events that occur when a dense plate subducts below a less dense plate. |
MOUNTAIN BUILDING | Major geological event that occurs when continental plates of equal density converge, resulting in mountain chains. |
DIVERGENT BOUNDARY | Occurs when 2 tectonic plates move away from each other; "DI-" = TWO. |
SPREADING RIDGES | Ridges formed from new crustal material at diverging oceanic plate boundaries. |
OCEAN BASIN | Area of oceanic crust covered by seawater & surrounded by areas of continental crust. |
TRANSFORM BOUNDARY | Occurs when 2 tectonic plates slide past each other. |
EARTHQUAKES | Major geological events that occur when plates shift suddenly & release stored energy; frequent occurrences along all types of plate boundaries. |