Plate Tectonics Vocab

Front

Solid outer layer of Earth, includes crust and rigid upper mantle.

Back

lithosphere

Front

Soft "plastic" layer of the mantle where tectonic plates move.

Back

asthenosphere

Front

Where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally

Back

transform boundary

Front

Strong lower mantle between asthenosphere and outer core

Back

mesosphere

Front

Process at mid-ocean ridges forming new oceanic lithosphere as magma rises and solidifies.

Back

sea-floor spreading

Front

Where two tectonic plates separate or divide

Back

divergent boundary

Front

A block of lithosphere moving on the asthenosphere.

Back

Tectonic plate

Front

Theory explaining movement and shape change of Earth's outer layer.

Back

plate tectonics

Front

Tectonic plates collide at:

Back

convergent boundary

Front

Break in rocks where one block slides relative to another.

Back

fault