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Geology CU Boulder

Terms in this set (49)

Crust
Earth's outermost layer.
Mantle
Earth's thickest layer made of hot rock and is less dense than the core, less hot, and has less pressure on it. It also has plasticity
Earths Core
The extremely hot and dense center of the earth, which is believed to be composed of iron and nickel
Lithosphere
A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust.
Asthenosphere
A layer of softer, weaker rock that can flow slowly, the way taffy does
Mesosphere
Beneath the asthenosphere is the strong lower part of the mantle (from the bottom of the asthenosphere to the earth's core)
Continental Lithosphere
lithosphere that is mainly comprised of granite; not as dense as basalt that's why it sits higher up in the asthenosphere.
Oceanic Lithosphere
Made out of basalt; more dense that's why it sits lower in the asthenosphere
Divergent Plate Boundary
Boundary between tectonic plates in which the two plates move away from each other, and new crust is created between them,
Ex. Mid Ocean Ridge
Continental Rift
a linear zone along which continental lithosphere stretches and pulls apart. Its creation may mark the beginning of a new ocean basin, Divergence
Convergent Plate Boundary
A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, come together, or crash into each other
Subduction Zones
Deep ocean trenches are associated with
Collision Zones
form where both sides of a convergent boundary consist of continental (buoyant) material
Transform Boundary
San Andreas Fault,
plates rubbing against each other
Continental Drift
Alfred Wegener, The hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
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