earth layers and plate tectonics

Front

Asthenosphere

Back

The semi-fluid layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move.

Front

Continental Drift

Back

The gradual movement of the continents across the earth's surface through geological time.

Front

Core

Back

The central part of the Earth below the mantle, consisting of the outer core and inner core.

Front

Crust

Back

The thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle.

Front

Fault

Back

A fracture in the Earth's crust where blocks of land have moved past each other.

Front

Lithosphere

Back

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

Front

Mantle

Back

The part of the earth between the core and the crust, made up of silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron.

Front

Mesosphere

Back

The region of the Earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, or the lower part of the mantle in geology.

Front

Molten

Back

Describes rock or metal that has been melted by heat.

Front

Tectonic Plate

Back

A massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.