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Plate Tectonics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Lithosphere | The crust and the top layer of the mantle. |
| Convection | The heating and cooling of magma in the mantle. |
| Asthenosphere | The upper portion of the mantle where convection currents happen. |
| Plate Tectonics | The theory that the continents are split into plates that are moving due to fossils, glacial evidence, land forms, etc. |
| Pangaea | The supercontinent that Wegener named. |
| Plate Boundaries | Where plates contact each other. |
| Continental Plates Converging | This boundary creates mountains. Ex: The Himalayas |
| Continental Plates Diverging | This boundary creates rifts. Ex: East African Rift |
| Oceanic Plates Converging | This boundary creates islands. Ex: Japan |
| Oceanic Plates Diverging | This boundary creates oceanic ridges. Ex: Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| Oceanic-Continental Plates Converging | This boundary creates volcanic mountains. Ex: The Andes |
| Transform Plates | This boundary creates fault lines. Ex: The San Andreas Fault |