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Plate Tectonics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| theory | an explanation for why a phenomenon |
| hypothesis | an idea that can be tested by experimentation or investigation |
| law | description of a repeated pattern observed in nature, without an explanation for the pattern |
| continental drift | the idea that the continents were once fused together but slowly drifted apart over time |
| tectonic plates | more than a dozen distinct plates that make up Earth’s surface and slowly move in different directions |
| supercontinent | one giant continent into which most or all of the continents were assembled long ago |
| superposition | the condition of undisturbed sedimentary rock in which the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest layer is at the top |
| convection current | a type of thermal energy transfer in which differences in temperature and density of fluids make them rise and fall |
| convergent boundary | boundary where two tectonic plates move together, or converge |
| divergent boundary | boundary where two tectonic plates move away, or diverge, from one another |
| transform boundary | boundary where tectonic plates slide past each other in opposite directions |
| ocean basin | the area under ocean water |
| subduction | process in which a dense plate sinks under a less dense plate and melts in Earth’s mantle |
| fault | a break in the rock of Earth’s crust or mantle |
| earthquake | shaking and trembling that result from tectonic plate movement |
| seismic waves | vibrations that travel through Earth carrying energy |
| Richter scale | a rating of an earthquake’s magnitude, on a scale from 0-9, based on the size if its seismic waves |
| volcano | a structure that forms in Earth’s crust when molten material reaches Earth’s surface |
| magma | molten mixture of rock-forming substances, gases, and water from Earth’s mantle |
| lava | magma that has reached Earth’s surface |
| hot spot | area of the mantle where hot rock rises upward |
| supervolcano | structure that forms when magma rises into Earth’s crust but is trapped and can’t break through to the surface, causing pressure to build over time ad finally erupt |
Created by:
asplawn
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