Inside the Earth
This layer of Earth is made of extremely hot, semi-molten rock that moves in convection currents.
the mantle
This theory explains how large pieces of Earth’s crust move and interact.
plate tectonics
This process breaks rock into smaller pieces without moving it.
weathering
These preserved remains or traces of organisms provide evidence of past life.
fossils
This type of heat transfer causes material in the mantle to rise, cool, sink, and repeat.
convection
Plate boundaries can cause these Earth phenomena.
earthquakes, mountain ranges, volcanic eruptions, deep ocean trenches, formation of new crust
This process moves sediment and small pieces of rocks or dirt from one place to another.
erosion
These layers of rock help scientists determine the relative age of fossils.
sedimentary layers or rock layers
Earth’s internal energy mainly comes from heat left over from formation and this ongoing process in the core.
radioactive decay
This type of plate boundary forms mountains when two continental plates collide (come together).
convergent boundary
This type of rock forms when melted rock cools and hardens.
igneous rock
Similar fossils have been found on different continents, it supports the idea that there used to be a "supercontinent" called this.
Pangea
This movement of material inside Earth is responsible for moving tectonic plates.
convection currents
At this type of boundary, plates slide past each other and can cause earthquakes.
transform boundary
This type of rock forms when small pieces of rock and sand undergo compaction and pressure over a long period of time.
sedimentary rock
If a fossil is found in a layer of rock deep underground, this tells scientists the fossil is ______________ compared to fossils in higher layers.
The Earth is composed of these four layers.
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
This type of plate boundary can form new ocean floor as magma rises and cools when plates move apart.
divergent boundary
This type of rock forms when heat and pressure change an existing rock without melting it.
metamorphic rock