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AP Environmental Science Review

Terms in this set (271)

superposition
The principle that any given rock layer is probably older than those above it and younger than those below it
continental crust
Extends from surface of Earth down to 20-30 miles. Continental crust (granite) is less dense then ocean crust (basalt).
oceanic crust
Extends down from the surface of the Earth to 7 miles. Crust is layered and very uniform. Composed of basalt.
mantle
Contains most of Earth's mass. Composed of iron, magnesium, aluminum, and silicon-oxygen compounds
core
Composed mostly of iron and is so hot that the outer core is molten. The inner core is under such extreme pressure that it remains solid.
Continental Drift Theory
1915- Alfred Wegener proposed that all present-day continents originally formed one landmass (Pangaea).
lithosphere
Lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) is divided into massive sections known as plates, which float and move on the asthenosphere.
transform boundaries
Occur where plates slide PAST each other.
San Andreas Fault
Found near the western coast of North America. Where the Pacific and North American plates move relative to each other.
divergent boundaries
Occur where two plates slide APART from each other with the space that was created being filled with molten magma from below.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Pacific Rise
Examples of oceanic divergent boundaries.
East African Great Rift Valley
Examples of areas of continental divergent boundaries
convergent boundaries
Occur where two plates slide TOWARD each other, commonly forming either a subduction zone or orogonic belt.
subduction zone
Occurs when a denser oceanic plate moves underneath (subducts) a less-dense continental plate.

e.g. Cascade Mountain range (includes Mount Saint Helens)
island arc
A curved chain of volcanic islands created when two oceanic plates converge.

e.g. Japan and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska
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