Structure of the Earth and Plate Tectonics
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Created by:
kimroberto on March 11, 2009
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24 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 List in order the four main layers of the earth | Crust, Mantel, outer core, inner core |
| plate tectonics | the theory that states that pieces of earth's lithosphere are in constant slow motion |
| Hot rock | describes the earth's mantel |
| convection currents in the mantle | what do geologists think causes the movement of the plates |
| Solid metal | describes the earth's inner core |
| Subduction | the process where the ocean floor sinks back into the mantle |
| Convection | the name of heat transfer tha occurs in a fluid |
| heat transfer | the general term for the movement of heat from one place to another |
| pangaea | the name given to the super continent that existed millions of years ago |
| fossils | traces of ancient organisims preserved in rock |
| mid ocean ridge | where molten material rises from the mantle and erupts in theprocess of sea floor spreading |
| continental drift hypothesis | wegener used fossil, landform, and climate evidence to support this hypothesis |
| divergent boundary | type of plate boundary formed from a rift valley |
| inner core | the layer of the earth that scientists believe spins to produce the earths magnetic field |
| theory of continental drift | all continenents once were joined together to form a single continent but have since drifted apart |
| sea floor spreading | the name of the process that continually adds new crust to the ocean floor |
| plates | the broken sections of the lithosphere that float on top of the astehenosphere |
| subduction | where oceanic crust bends down toward the mantle |
| mantle | the thickest layer of the earth |
| crust | the layer of the earth hat is made up mainly of the rocks basalt and granite |
| convergent boundary | the boundary where two plates come together |
| asthenosphere | the layer of the mantle where convection currents flow |
| transform boundary | the boundary where two plates slide past each other |
| mountain range | a gologic feature formed where two contintntal plates converge |
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