click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Inside Earth 1:5
Ch.1 Sec:5 Theory pof plate tectonics
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Plate | A slab of Earth's lithosphere that can move around on the planets surface. |
scientific theory | A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations about a particular scientific question |
plate tectonics | the theory that states that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant, slow motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle. |
fault | a break in Earth's lithosphere where one block of rock moves toward, away from, or past another. |
transform boundary | Two plates sliding horizontally past eachother. |
divergent boundary | place where two of earth's tectonic plates are moving apart |
rift valley | a deep valley that forms when two plates break apart |
convergent boundary | a boundary between lithospheric plates where the plates move toward one another and one plate is recycled into the mantle |