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Chapter 9 vocabulary
Earth's Crust in Motion
| Vocabulary | Definition |
|---|---|
| convection | the transfer of thermal energy by movements of a fluid |
| convection current | the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfer thermal energy from one part of the fluid to another |
| conduction | the transfer of thermal energy through direct contact between particles of matter |
| radiation | the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves |
| sea - floor spreading | the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor |
| subduction | the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep - ocean trench and back into the mantle at a convergent plate boundary |
| deep - ocean trench | a deep valley along the ocean floor through which oceanic crust slowly sinks towards the mantle |
| mid - ocean ridge | the undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a divergent plate boundary |