Plate Tectonics
huge pieces of Earth's curst that cover its surface and fit together at their edges
tectonic plate
unusually hot area in Earth's mantle where high-temperature plumes of mantle material rise toward the surface
hot spot
tsunami
large, powerful ocean wave generated by the vertical motions of the seafloor during an earthquake
mountain that forms when large pieces of crust are tilted, uplifted, or dropped downward between large normal faults
fault-block mountains
transform boundary
process by which one tectonic plate slips beneath another tectonic plate
subduction
broad volcano with gently sloping sides built by non-explosive eruptions of basaltic lava that accumulates in layers
shield volcano
the vibrations of the ground during an earthquake
seismic wave
mountain that forms when large regions of Earth are forced slowly upward without much deformation
uplifted mountains
regions where two tectonic plates are moving apart
divergent boundaries
the theory that explains how new oceanic crust forms at ocean ridges, slowly moves away from ocean ridges, and is destroyed at deep-sea trenches
Seafloor spreading
generally cone-shaped with concave slopes and built by violent eruptions of volcanic fragments and lava that accumulate in alternating layers
composite volcano
point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
epicenter
cycle of processes that form all mountain ranges, resulting in broad, linear regions of deformation that you know as mountain ranges but in geology are known as orogenic belts
orogeny
regions where two tectonic plates are moving toward each other
convergent boundaries
the study of the history of Earth's magnetic field
Paleomagnetism
coarse-grained, irregularly-shaped pluton that covers at least 100 square km and is common in the interior of major mountain chains
batholith
point of the initial fault rupture where an earthquake originates that usually lies at least several kilometers beneath Earth's surface
focus
slow process of Earth's crust rising as the result of the removal of overlaying material
isostatic rebound
when two plates collide, the denser plate eventually descends below the other, less-dense plate in a process called
subduction
the plastic-like layer of the upper mantle that allows the lithosphere to move
Aesthenosphere
relatively small, mushroom-shaped pluton that forms when magma intrudes into parallel rock layers close to Earth's surface
laccolith
place along an active fault that has not experienced an earthquake for a long time
seismic gap
condition of equilibrium that describes the displacement of Earth's mantle by Earth's continental and oceanic crust
isostasy
*DOUBLE JEOPARDY!*
what is/are the driving force(s) behind all tectonic plate movement
mantle convection currents