Plate Tectonics
What do we call the large pieces of Earth’s crust that move slowly over time
Tectonic Plates
What type of rock forms from cooled magma or lava
Igneous
What is the thin outer layer of Earth called
Crust
What do we call the system scientists use to organize Earth’s history
Geologic time scale
What natural event happens when tectonic plates suddenly move
Earthquake
What layer of Earth do tectonic plates float on
Mantle
What process breaks rocks into smaller pieces
Which layer is made of semi-molten rock and causes plate movement?
Mantle
What is the largest division of geologic time
Eon
What instrument measures earthquakes?
Seismometer
What type of plate boundary occurs when two plates move apart
Divergent
What type of rock forms from layers of sediment pressed together
Which layer generates Earth’s magnetic field?
Outer Core
What era is known as the “Age of Dinosaurs
Mesozoic Era
What is molten rock called before it reaches Earth’s surface?
Magma
What famous fault in California is a transform boundary
What type of rock forms due to heat and pressure without melting
Metamorphic
Which Earth layer is the hottest
Inner Core
What era do humans live in today
Cenozoic Era
What region around the Pacific Ocean has many volcanoes and earthquakes?
Ring of Fire
What process explains how new ocean crust forms at mid-ocean ridges
Sea Floor Spreading
What two processes turn sediment into sedimentary rock
Compaction and Cementation
Put these layers in order from outside to inside: mantle, crust, core
Crust → Mantle → Core
What event caused the extinction of the dinosaurs
Asteroid impact (mass extinction)
Why do earthquakes often happen at plate boundaries?
Plates get stuck and release energy when they move suddenly