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Plate Tectonics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| tectonic plates | large sections of Earth’s crust that move slowly over Earth’s surface |
| Pangea | the name for when all of Earth’s continents were connected as one large landmass |
| Convergent Boundary | when two plates move toward each other, often forming mountains |
| Divergent Boundary | when two plates move apart, forming mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys |
| Transform Boundary | when two plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes |
| subduction zone | one tectonic plate sinks beneath another plate |
| seafloor spreading | when new ocean crust forms at a mid-ocean ridge and moves away in opposite directions |
| convection current | warmer rock rises and cooler rock sinks inside Earth, moving tectonic plates |