Plate Tectonics Basics
What is the outermost layer of Earth called?
Crust
What type of boundary occurs when plates move apart?
Divergent boundary
What fossil evidence supports continental drift?
Fossils of the same species found on different continents
What is a break in Earth’s crust where movement has occurred?
Fault
What was the name of the supercontinent that existed 300 million years ago?
Pangaea
What theory explains the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates?
Plate Tectonics Theory
What type of boundary occurs when plates collide?
Convergent boundary
What geologic feature forms at divergent boundaries under the ocean?
Mid-ocean ridges
What causes earthquakes?
Sudden movement of tectonic plates along a fault line
What type of plate boundary created the Himalayas?
Convergent boundary
What are the two types of tectonic plates?
Continental & Oceanic Plates
What type of boundary occurs when plates slide past each other?
Transform boundary
What process explains the creation of new oceanic crust?
Seafloor spreading
What is a large depression formed by the collapse of a volcano?
Caldera
Which type of crust is denser, oceanic or continental?
Oceanic crust
What is the layer beneath the crust that drives plate movement?
Mantle
What landform is created at an oceanic-continental convergent boundary?
Volcanic arc or trench
How do earthquakes provide evidence for plate tectonics?
They occur along plate boundaries due to movement
What is a long, narrow depression formed at divergent boundaries on land?
Rift valley
What is the Ring of Fire known for?
High volcanic and earthquake activity around the Pacific Ocean
What force causes tectonic plates to move?
Convection currents in the mantle
What famous fault line in California is an example of a transform boundary?
San Andreas Fault
What evidence from rock formations supports the idea of moving continents?
Matching mountain ranges on different continents
What type of mountains are formed by the collision of two continental plates?
Fold mountains, like the Himalayas
How fast do tectonic plates move on average per year?
A few centimeters per year, about the speed fingernails grow!