Earth's Composition
the thin, rocky outer layer that is made of oceanic and continental types
What is crust?
minerals that contain silicon (Si) and oxygen (O)
What are silicates?
name of the giant landmass that was once composed of all the continents
What is Pangea?
the Earth's crust is made up of these
What are oceanic and continental crust?
the alignment of magnetic minerals in rock according to the magnetic field at the time
lies below the crust and makes up 2/3 of the Earth's mass; its very dense
What is the mantle?
minerals that contain carbon (C), oxygen (O) and one or more other metallic element
What are carbonates?
this scientist proposed the hypothesis of continental drift
Who is Alfred Wegener?
types of plate boundaries
What are divergent, convergent and transform?
when molten rock pushes up from a crack in the mantle pushing the crust apart so new oceanic crust can be formed
What is seafloor spreading?
the innermost layer of the Earth
What is the core?
minerals that contain chlorine (Cl) or fluorine (Fl) bonded to sodium (Na), potassium (K) or calcium (Ca)
What are halides?
hypothesis that continents move
What is continental drift?
when plates that are moving away from each other and form mid-ocean ridges
What are divergent boundaries?
What is the study of earthquake patterns?
this part of core is made of liquid, metallic iron and generates the Earth's magnetic field
What is the outer core?
What are oxides?
fossils
What is evidence to support continental drift?
plates are moving towards each other and collide destroying the crust
What are convergent boundaries?
comparing the age of the rock with its location showing that ocean basins are the youngest rock
What is ocean drilling?
is the part of the inner core that is a solid sphere because it is compressed by immense pressure
What is the inner core?
minerals that are made of elements that are uncombined with any other element
What are native elements?
additional evidence for continental drift
What are climate data, rock formations and jigsaw fit of the continents?
when two plates slide past one another in opposite directions with no vertical movement causing earhtquakes
What are transform boundaries?
a stationary, rising plume of mantle that is not associated with a plate boundary
What is a hot spot?