Tectonic Plates and Related Concepts

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Tectonic Plates

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

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Lithosphere

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The rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

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Plate boundary

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The area where two tectonic plates meet.

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Divergent boundary

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A tectonic boundary where two plates are moving away from each other and new crust is forming from magma that rises to the Earth's surface between the two plates.

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Convergent boundary

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A tectonic plate boundary where two plates are moving toward one another creating subduction zones, mountain ranges, volcanoes, etc.

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Transform boundary

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Tectonic plate boundary where two plates slide past one another horizontally.

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Subduction

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The action or process in plate tectonics of the edge of one crustal plate descending below the edge of another.

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Oceanic crust

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The relatively thin part of the earth's crust which underlies the ocean basins. It is geologically young compared with the continental crust and consists of basaltic rock overlain by sediments.

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Continental crust

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The relatively thick part of the earth's crust that forms the large landmasses. It is generally older and more complex than the oceanic crust.

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Earthquake

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A sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action.