Earth's Layers
What is the outermost layer of the Earth called?
The crust.
What is the primary composition of the oceanic crust?
Mostly basalt, which is rich in iron and magnesium.
What occurs at a convergent boundary?
Two tectonic plates move towards each other, often causing one plate to subduct beneath the other.
What happens at a transform boundary?
Two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.
What is created when plates move apart at a divergent boundary?
New crust, often forming mid-ocean ridges.
How thick can the continental crust be?
Up to about 70 kilometers thick.
What does "litho" mean in Greek, and how does it relate to the lithosphere?
"Litho" means rock in Greek, and the lithosphere is the rigid, rocky outer layer of the Earth.
What is subduction?
Subduction is the process where one tectonic plate sinks beneath another.
Give an example of a transform fault located on land.
The San Andreas Fault in California.
Describe what happens at divergent boundaries between oceanic plates.
Magma rises, creating new seafloor and forming mid-ocean ridges.
What does the term “asthenosphere” refer to in relation to the lithosphere?
The asthenosphere is the semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.
How do convection currents in the mantle affect plate movement?
They create movement by slowly pushing and pulling tectonic plates across the Earth's surface.
How do oceanic-continental convergences affect landforms?
they create volcanic activity, trench, folded mountain ranges
How are earthquakes related to transform boundaries?
The sliding motion causes friction and stress buildup, which releases as earthquakes.
What landform is formed from divergent boundaries between continental plates?
Rift Valleys
What are the two main components of the Earth's mantle?
Silicon and oxygen, with significant amounts of magnesium and iron.
What is the difference between the outer and inner core in terms of state and composition?
The outer core is liquid iron and nickel, while the inner core is solid iron and nickel.
What is formed when two continental plates collide?
Large mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas.
What is the main characteristic that distinguishes transform boundaries from other types?
They involve lateral, or side-to-side, movement rather than collision or separation.
How do divergent boundaries contribute to the formation of new crust?
Magma from the mantle rises to fill the gap as plates pull apart, solidifying to form new crust.
Describe the temperature range of the inner core.
Approximately 5,000 to 7,000 degrees Celsius.
Name one method scientists use to study the Earth's interior.
Seismic wave analysis. Rock samples
Describe the consequences of oceanic-oceanic convergence.
It can form volcanic island arcs and ocean trenches.
Explain the relationship between transform faults and plate tectonics.
Transform faults connect sections of divergent and convergent boundaries and accommodate the shifting movements of tectonic plates.
What significant geological feature was formed by the rifting process in East Africa?
A new Ocean, the red sea