Earth's Interior
This is the thin, rocky outer layer of the Earth where we live.
What is the crust?
This type of boundary involves plates sliding past each other, often causing earthquakes.
What is a transform boundary?
He proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912.
Who is Alfred Wegener?
This type of volcano has broad, gently sloping sides and erupts runny lava.
What is a shield volcano?
The deepest part of the ocean that forms at a convergence of ocean plates.
What is a trench?
This layer of Earth is made of molten iron and nickel and creates Earth’s magnetic field.
What is the outer core?
At this type of boundary, two plates move apart, creating new crust at mid-ocean ridges.
What is a divergent boundary?
This underwater feature is the main site where seafloor spreading occurs.
What is a mid-ocean ridge?
The point on Earth’s surface directly above the focus.
What is the epicenter?
One of two elements that makes up the inner core.
What is iron or nickel?
This solid metallic layer at remains solid because of extreme pressure, even though it’s hotter than the Sun’s surface.
What is the inner core?
This type of boundary occurs when two plates collide, sometimes forming mountains.
What is a convergent boundary?
The name of the supercontinent that existed about 300 million years ago before breaking apart.
What is Pangaea?
The 1980 eruption of this Washington State volcano showed the destructive power of explosive eruptions.
What is Mount St. Helens?
The convergence of these type of plates formed the Himalayan Mountain range.
What are continental plates?
Convection currents in this thick, rocky layer drive the movement of tectonic plates.
What is the mantle?
This deep underwater feature forms at subduction zones when one plate sinks beneath another.
What is a trench?
Patterns of magnetic stripes on either side of the mid-ocean ridge provided evidence for this process.
What is seafloor spreading?
This type of volcanic eruption occurs when magma has high viscosity and traps gases.
What is an explosive eruption?
The San Andreas fault lies along this type of boundary.
What is a transform boundary?
This type of seismic wave cannot travel through the outer core, which helped scientists conclude it is liquid.
What are S-waves?
Magma for volcanoes form when this type of plate sinks into the mantle and is melted.
What is an oceanic plate?
At a mid-ocean ridge, new crust forms when this material rises and solidifies.
What is magma?
These waves are the fastest seismic waves and the first detected by seismographs.
What are P-waves (primary waves)?
The only U.S. state that has a shield volcano.
What is Hawaii?