Plate Boundaries
What plate movement causes mountains?
Convergent movement, colliding
The Earth's core is ____(hotter, colder) and has ____(more, less) iron than the Earth's crust.
hotter, more iron
Who was the creator of the Theory of Continental Drift?
Alfred Wegener
Huge broken pieces of the lithosphere are called what?
Tectonic Plates
The Lithosphere is made up of what (2) types of crust?
Oceanic & Continental
What plate boundary forms mid-ocean ridges/seafloor spreading?
Divergent
Which layer of the Earth does convection currents (heat transfer) occur?
Mantle
What is a the name of the super continent proposed in the Continental Drift Theory?
Pangaea
Where do Volcanoes and earthquakes often occur?
Along plate boundaries
What are two natural disasters caused by plate tectonics
Earthquakes & Volcanic Eruptions
This boundary occurs when tectonic plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.
Transform
What are some reasons that scientist use models to study the layers of the Earth?
1. Cannot directly observe the layers of the Earth
2. Earth's layers are too big to observe
3. Scientists cannot drill past the crust
How is new crust created?
Very hot magma (molten rock) comes to the surface and cools.
Along a Mid-Ocean Ridge, where is the oldest rock found?
Farthest from the Ridge. The closer the younger.
Oceanic crust being forced below continental crust due to its density is called?
Subduction
When plate boundaries move towards each other, what will likely occur?
Mountain Building / Uplift
What layer of the Earth do the Plate Tectonics glide on?
Asthenosphere
Which two continents did Wegener say fit together like puzzle pieces?
South America & Africa
The driving force of plate tectonics. These circular movements in Earth's mantle cause the tectonic plates on Earth's crust to move.
Convection Currents
Which is younger: oceanic crust or continental crust?
Oceanic Crust
Why does the oceanic crust sink beneath the continental crust?
Oceanic crust has a greater density
What is the nickname for the Asthenosphere?
The plastic mantle
List 2 pieces of evidence that prove continental drift?
1.Fossils of the same plants and animals in different places
2. Shaped like a puzzle
3. Similar mountain range
4. Similar rock types
When the ocean floor splits open and magma rises creating a new ocean floor it is called a...
Mid-Ocean Ridge
Plate Tectonics move each year. But how much do they move each year?
Plate Tectonics move all the time. They move as slowly as your fingernail growing. About 6 inches a year.