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Tectonic Plates

Middle School Tectonic Plates

QuestionAnswer
Crust The outermost layer of the Earth. It's solid and includes both the land and the ocean floor.
Mantle The layer beneath the Earth's crust. It's made up of hot, semi-solid rock and extends to the outer core.
Inner Core The very center of the Earth, composed mostly of solid iron and nickel. It's extremely hot and under intense pressure.
Outer Core Surrounding the inner core, it's a layer of molten metal (mostly iron and nickel). It's responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field.
Lithosphere The rigid outer part of the Earth, including the crust and a portion of the upper mantle. It's divided into large tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.
Asthenosphere A semi-fluid layer in the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere. It's partially molten and allows the movement of tectonic plates.
The theory of continental drift The idea that continents were once joined together in a single landmass (called Pangaea) and have since moved apart slowly over time. This theory suggests that continents are still in motion today, drifting on the Earth's surface.
Alfred Wegner Proposed the theory of continental drift
Sea Floor Spreading The process where new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates move apart. Magma rises up, cools, and solidifies, creating new crust and pushing older crust outward.
Rift Valley A deep valley formed on the Earth's surface where tectonic plates are moving apart. It's often found at divergent boundaries, such as along mid-ocean ridges or continental rift zones.
Mountains Large landforms that rise high above their surroundings, typically formed by the movement and collision of tectonic plates, or by volcanic activity.
Volcanic Island arc Curved chains of volcanic islands formed on the ocean floor by the collision of tectonic plates. This occurs where one oceanic plate is forced underneath another plate in a subduction zone.
Coastal Mountain Ranges Mountain ranges located near coastlines, often formed by the collision of tectonic plates or by the movement of plates causing uplift and the formation of high landforms near the coast.
Divergent Boundary A boundary where tectonic plates move away from each other. It's associated with the formation of new crust, such as mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys.
Convergent Boundary A boundary where tectonic plates collide. Depending on the type of plates involved, it can result in the formation of mountains, volcanic arcs, or subduction zones.
Transform Boundary A boundary where tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally. This movement can cause earthquakes along fault lines.
Earthquake The shaking or trembling of the Earth's surface caused by the sudden release of energy. It occurs when stress on rocks along a fault is released, resulting in seismic waves.
Deep Ocean Trench Extremely deep and narrow depressions on the ocean floor, often found in subduction zones where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another. These trenches are the deepest parts of the Earth's oceans.
Theory of Plate Tectonics The scientific theory that explains the movement of the Earth's lithosphere (the outermost layer). It states that the Earth's crust is divided into several large and small plates that move across the semi-fluid asthenosphere.
Convection Currents Circulating currents in the semi-fluid mantle caused by the uneven heating of the Earth's interior. As hot material rises and cooler material sinks, it creates a circular current that are the driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates.
subduction Subduction is the process where one tectonic plate moves beneath another tectonic plate at a convergent boundary. When two plates collide, the denser oceanic plate typically sinks below the less dense continental plate or another oceanic plate.
Created by: user-1736939
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