Earths Layers
What is the outermost solid layer of the Earth
crust
What do we call the pieces that make up the Earth’s crust?
tectonic plates
What is the name of the ancient supercontinent that included Australia?
gondwana
Where do most earthquakes and volcanoes occur?
at plate boundaries
What scientist proposed the idea of continental drift?
alfred wagener
Which layer is hot and flows slowly, causing plates to move?
Mantle
What happens at a divergent plate boundary?
plates move apart
Name one other continent that used to be part of Gondwana
Antarctica, Africa, South America, India
What scale is used to measure the strength of an earthquake?
richter scale
What is a fault line?
(Answer: A crack in Earth's crust where movement occurs)
What layer is made of liquid metal and creates Earth's magnetic field?
Outer Core
What happens at a convergent plate boundary?
plates move toward each other
What evidence do we have that Gondwana existed?
Answer: Fossils, matching rock formations, glacial evidence
What is the name of the area in the Pacific with lots of volcanoes and earthquakes?
ring of fire
What natural event can occur when stress builds up along a fault?
earthquaske
Name all four main layers of Earth in order.
Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core
What happens at a transform plate boundary?
plates slide past each other
Around how long ago did Gondwana start to break up?
180 million years ago approx.
What causes most earthquakes
*(Answer: Sudden movement of tectonic plates)*
What is a tectonic plate made of?
crust and upper mantle
What evidence do scientists use to study Earth’s interior?
Seismic waves
What is the name of the theory that explains plate movement?
theory of plate tectonics
What modern science helped confirm the breakup of Gondwana?
plates moving apart
What is magma called when it reaches the Earth's surface?
lava
Why don’t we feel the plates moving?
(Answer: They move very slowly – a few cm per year)