| Term | Definition |
|---|
| "plate" | a large, rigid slab of solid rock |
| "tectonics" | comes from the Greek root word "to build" |
| "plate" + " tectonics" | refers to how the earth's surface is built of plates |
| theory | an explanation that ties together many hypotheses & observations |
| plate tectonics | the theory that explains how large pieces of the earth's outermost layer, called tectonic plates, move & change shape. |
| theory of plate tectonics | states that the earth's outermost layer is fragnemted into a dozen or more large & small plates that are moving relative to one another as they ride atop hotter material. |
| lithosphere | plates & plate tectonics are part of this.... |
| like a giant lithosphere | a giant jigsaw puzzle |
| pieces of the puzzle | are the tectonic plates |
| 2 ways of classifying layers of the earth | chemical composition & physical structure |
| chemical composition's 4 layers | the crust, mantle, outer core, inner core |
| crust | the rigid rocky outer layer of the earth composed of mostly basalt & granite. |
| The crust is the ________ layer of the earth | thinnest |
| The crust is thinner under the ________. | oceans |
| The crust is less than _____% of the earth's mass | 1% |
| 2 types of crust | continental & oceanic |
| continental crust | under the continents, made mailny of the element oxygen, silicon, & aluminum |
| oceanic crust | under the ocean, much denser than the continental crust. has twice as much iron, calcium, & magnesium. |
| The oceanic crust is the _______ floor | ocean |
| The oceanic crust is at _____ _______ & is much thinner. | sea level |
| mantle | the rocky layer of the earth between the crust & the core. |
| the mantle is composed of | silicon, oxygen, magnesium, iron, aluminum, & calcium |
| The mantle is much ________ than the crust | thicker |
| The mantle contains most of the..... | earth's mass |
| no one has EVER visited here before | the mantle |
| it is too thick to drill through | the crust |
| This is how scientists STUDY the mantle | they make observations on earths surface and the ocean floor. |
| magma | comes from the mantle & flows out of active volcanoes on the ocean floor |
| When mantle rock pushes to the surface | scientists can study the rock directly. |
| core size | 33% of earth's mass |
| The core radius is | 3,430 km thick |
| Outer core | the layer of the earth that esxtends from below the mantle to the center of the earth. |
| scientists believe that the outer core | is composed of molten iron-nickel layer that surrounds the inner core. |
| inner core | center of the earth |
| the inner core is composed of | solid iron-nickel that is very hot and under great pressure |
| physical structure | lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core, inner core |
| lithosphere | solid outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle. |
| the lithosphere is divided into pieces called | tectonic plates |
| asthenosphere | a plastic layer of the mantle on which pieces of tectonic move. |
| the asthenosphere is made up of | solid rock that flows very slowly |
| mesophere | the strong, lower part of the mantle. It extends from the bottom of the asthenosphere to the earth's core |
| outer core | the liquid layer of the earth's core that lies beneath the mantle & surrounds the inner core |
| inner core | the solid, dense center of tour planet that extends from the bottom of the outer core to the center of the earth, which is about 6,380 km beneath the surface |
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