Plate Tectonics
What is a plate tectonic?
The scientific theory that explains how the Earth's rigid outer shell, the lithosphere, is divided into large, moving plates that interact with each other, causing phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges.
What are the main sections of the earth?
Crust, Inner core, Outer core, MAntle
What are tsunamis
What is a wave
A wave is a disturbance that travels through a medium or space, transferring energy without transporting matter.
What is the name of the process where plants convert sunlight into energy?
Photosynthesis
What are the 3 main types of plate boundaries?
Divergent, Convergent, and Transform
What does the crust do?
It's a dynamic zone where geological processes occur, providing the environment, natural resources, and geological hazards that affect humanity, and is also the home of life
How are they different from regular ocean waves?
Unlike wind waves, which are generated by wind, tsunamis are generated by disturbances on the ocean floor and move through the entire water column, not just the surface.
What are some examples of waves
Sound waves, water waves, light waves, and seismic waves
What is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature?
Mercury
What happens at a divergent boudary?
Plates move apart, allowing magma from the Earth's mantle to rise and cool, forming a new crust.
What does the mantle do?
It plays a crucial role in driving plate tectonics and transporting heat, influencing Earth's surface processes like volcanism and mountain building.
What are some other differences of tsunamis?
Tsunamis have longer wavelengths (distance between crests) and periods (time between crests) than wind waves and can travel much faster in deep water.
How are frequency and wavelength related?
Frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional; a wave with a higher frequency will have a shorter wavelength and vice versa.
What is the chemical symbol for water?
H₂O
What happens at a convergent boundary?
The plates collide, and if one plate is denser, it subducts (slides under) the other, leading to earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountain ranges.
What does the outer core do?
It plays a crucial role in generating Earth's magnetic field through the movement of its molten metal, which acts as a geodynamo.
What is the most common cause of tsunamis?
The most common cause of tsunamis is large earthquakes below or near the ocean floor, particularly those on converging tectonic plate boundaries.
What is the speed of a wave?
Wave speed is the distance a wave travels in a given amount of time, and it's related to its frequency and wavelength by the equation: Speed = Wavelength x Frequency.
What is the smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element?
An atom
What happens at a transform boundary?
Plates slide past each other horizontally, often causing earthquakes due to the friction and stress building up as they grind against each other.
What does the inner core do?
It plays a crucial role in generating the planet's magnetic field
How fast do tsunamis travel?
In the deep ocean, tsunamis can travel at speeds of over 500 mph (800 km/h), but their wave height is usually small.
What are the two main types of waves?
Mechanical waves, and electromagnetic maves
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid