Structure of the Earth
What are the four main layers of the Earth?
Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
What theory explains the movement of Earth’s continents?
Plate tectonics
What type of boundary is formed when plates move apart?
Divergent boundary
What natural event occurs when energy is suddenly released in the Earth’s crust?
An earthquake
What are the three main types of rock?
Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
Which layer of the Earth is the thickest?
The mantle
What was the name of the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago?
Pangaea
What type of boundary is formed when plates collide?
Convergent boundary
What is molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface called?
Magma
How are igneous rocks formed?
From cooled magma or lava
What is the lithosphere made of?
The crust and the uppermost part of the mantle
What are the large pieces of Earth’s crust called?
Tectonic plates
What type of boundary is formed when plates slide past each other?
Transform boundary
Where do most earthquakes and volcanoes occur?
Along plate boundaries
How are sedimentary rocks formed?
From compressed sediments
Which layer is liquid and responsible for Earth’s magnetic field?
The outer core
What drives the movement of tectonic plates?
Mantle convection currents (and gravitational forces)
What landform is commonly formed at divergent boundaries?
Mid-ocean ridges or rift valleys
What is the “Ring of Fire”?
A region around the Pacific Ocean with many earthquakes and volcanoes
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
From heat and pressure changing existing rocks
What evidence do scientists use to understand Earth’s internal structure?
Seismic waves from earthquakes
What type of evidence supports continental drift? Name one.
Fossils, rock formations, or continental shapes
What happens at a subduction zone?
One plate is forced beneath another into the mantle
Why are volcanoes common at convergent boundaries?
Subduction causes melting, forming magma that rises to the surface
What is the rock cycle?
The process that recycles rocks between the three types over time