The crust and upper mantle make up the rigid lithosphere, which is broken into large sections called ____________.
What are plates?
100
Violent shaking of Earth's crust as built-up energy is released.
What is an earthquake?
100
As sections of crust move apart, rocks are stretched until they snap, causing one block to move down along a sloping crack.
What is a fault at a diverging boundary?
100
Mountains that form when magma pushes up on Earth's crust but does not break through.
What are dome mountains?
200
Thin uppermost layer of Earth - could be compared to an egg shell or peach skin.
What is the crust?
200
Name the two parts of the core and describe them.
What are the inner core and outer core. The outer core is mostly molten metal, and is Earth's only liquid layer. The inner core is super hot metal, but is solid due to extreme pressure.
200
Point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake; and where the intensity is the strongest.
What is the epicenter?
200
Rocks are compressed as they come together, causing one block to move up along a sloping crack and the other moves down.
What is a converging boundary?
200
Mountains that form along fault lines where blocks of rock fall, are thrust up, or slide.
What is a fault-block mountain?
300
The thickest of Earth's layers - lies just under the crust.
What is the mantle?
300
What is some evidence of high temperatures below Earth's surface?
Scientists encounter higher temperatures when they drill.
Rocks melt below Earth's surface.
Geyser's spew hot water from beneath the surface.
300
Where do most of Earth's volcanoes and earthquakes occur?
What is along plate boundaries?
300
Rocks grind against each other as they move horizontally past each other in opposite directions. Pressure builds up along the fault until the rock breaks.
What is a sliding boundary.
300
Mountains that form where two plates collide and force layers of rock into folds.
What are fold mountains?
400
What parts of Earth's structure combine to form the lithosphere?
What are the solid upper mantle and the crust?
400
How can fossils provide evidence to support the theory of plate tectonics?
Fossils of tropical plants and animals may be found in polar regions; fossils of marine animals may be found in mountainous regions.
400
Waves of energy sent through Earth's crust when plates move suddenly.
What is are seismic waves?
400
Explain what happens to rock along converging boundaries.
Plates collide and rocks compress and break. One plate may move below the other plate.
400
BONUS: Besides plate movement, describe one process that can alter the structure of Earth's mantle.
What are weathering, erosion or deposition. They can create plateaus, mesas, caves, sand dunes, alluvial fans, and barrier islands.
500
Theory that giant plates of rock are slowly moving across Earth's surface.
What is plate tectonics?
500
Three ways that scientists can learn more about what goes on beneath Earth's surface.
What are 1) drilling holes, 2) studying lava, rock debris and ashes from volcanoes, 3) monitoring the activity of natural geysers, 4) setting up seismographs, and 5) design lab experiments to expose surface rock to intense heat and pressure.
500
Describe the damage an earthquake can cause to a region. Compare to the damage a volcano can do to the environment. Which is more dangerous?
Earthquakes can level buildings, cause landslides, and generate huge ocean waves. Volcanoes can cover large areas with lava, volcanic ash and rocks; destroy forests and emit dangerous gases into the atmosphere. Both are dangerous.
500
Surface waves produced by an earthquake:
A) cause relatively little damage
B) travel a great distance from the epicenter
C) move more quickly than body waves
D) move more slowly than body waves