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Plate Movement
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Crust | Earth's outer layer; the coolest and least dense layer of Earth. See also core, and mantle. |
| Mantle | The layer of Earth beneath the crust. It is about 2,900 km (1, 800 mi) thick, and makes up about 83 percent of Earth's interior. See also core, and crust. |
| Inner Core | A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth. |
| Outer Core | A layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth. |
| Latitude | The distance north or south of the equator is measured in degrees. See also longitude. |
| Longitude | The distance east or west of the prime meridian in Greenwich, England; measured in degrees. See also latitude. |
| Oceanic Ridge | A mountain-like landform that develops when tectonic plates move apart or separate and a new ocean lithosphere forms. |
| Sea-Floor Spreading | A process by which a new seafloor is formed from the magma rising from Earth's diverging oceanic plates. |
| Divergent Boundary | A plate Boundary where two plates move away from each other. |
| Convergent Boundary | A plate Boundary where two plates move toward each other. |
| Transform Boundary | A plate Boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions. |
| Subduction | The process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean Trench and back into the mantle at a convergent plate Boundary. |
| Ocean Trench | An undersea valley that represents one of the deepest parts of ocean. |
| Tectonic Plate | A piece of Earth's crust that, according to plate tectonics, is pushed by movement in the Asthenosphere. |
| Lithosphere | The cool, solid outer shell of Earth. It consists of the crust and the rigid uppermost part of the mantle and is |
| Fracture | The breakage of a rock into two or more pieces. |
| Elasticity | The ability of rock to be stretched and then return to its original position once the stress has been removed. |
| Stress | The amount of force being applied to a rock or surface. |
| Strain | Change in volume, size, or shape that results from stress. |
| Plate Boundary | A place where pieces of the broken lithosphere meet. Boundary types include convergent, divergent, and transform. |
| Continental Crust | Crust that contains mostly land, ranging from 15 to 70 kilometers (9 to 43 miles) thick. |
| Oceanic Crust | Crust that lies beneath the ocean, ranging from 5 to 10 km ( 3 to 6 mi) thick. |
| Friction | A force that opposes the motion of objects, which are in contact. |
| Rift Valley | The valley formed by a diverging plate boundary. |