ch.5 plate tectonics
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16 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Plate | A section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenoshpere, carrying pieces of continental and oceanic crust |
| scientific theory | a theory that explains scientific observations |
| Plate tectonics | the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle |
| Fault | a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other |
| Divergent boundary | A plate boundary where two plates move away from eachother. |
| Rift valley | A deep valley that forms where two plates move apart. |
| 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 |
| Mid-ocean ridge | An underwater moutain chain where new ocean floor is formed |
| Sonar | A device that determines the distance of an object under water by recording echoes of sound waves. |
| Sea-floor spreading | the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor. |
| Deep-ocean trench | A deep valley along the ocean floor beneath which oceanic crust slowly sinks toward the mantle. |
| Fossil | A trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock. |
| Subduction | a geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced sideways and downward into the mantle below another plate. |
| Continental drift | The hypothesis that the continents slowly move across earths surface. |
| Pangea | The name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to todays continents. |
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