| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Plate Tectonics | Theory that the Earth's crust and part of the upper mantle are broken into sections |
| Plates | Large section of Earth's oceanic or continental crust and rigid upper mantle that moves around on the asthenoshpere |
| Lithosphere | The rigid layer of Earth about 100 km thick, made of the crust and a part of the upper mantle |
| Asthenosphere | Plasticlike layer of Earth on which the lithospheric plates float and move around |
| Convection Current | The entire cycle of heating, rising, cooling and sinking that occurs in the mantle |
| Fault | Surface along which rocks move and break |
| Earthquake | Vibrations produced when rocks break along a fault |
| Normal Fault | Break in rock caused by tension forces where rocks above the fault surface moves down relative to rock below the fault surface |
| Reverse Fault | Break in rock caused by compression forces where rock above the fault surface moves upward relative to the rock below the fault surface |
| Strike Slip Fault | Break in rock caused by shear forces where rocks slide past each other without much vertical movement |
| Seismic Wave | Waves created by Earthquakes |
| Focus | Point below the Earth's surface where energy is release during an earthquake |
| Primary Wave | Wave which causes rock particles to move back and forth in the same direction the wave is traveling, the first wave to pass through after an earthquake |
| Secondary Wave | Wave which causes rock particles to move at right angles to the direction of wave travel, the second wave to pass through the earth after an earthquake |
| Surface Wave | Wave which causes rock particles to move in a backward rolling and side to side swaying motion, this is the most destructive earthquake wave |
| Epicenter | The point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake focus |
| Seismograph | Instrument that measures the seismic waves from an earthquake |
| Magnitude | Measure of the energy that is released during an earthquake |
| Liquifaction | Occurs when wet soil acts more like a liquid during an earthquake |
| Tsunami | Ocean waves caused by earthquakes, also known as seismic sea waves |
Combine with other sets
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