FA 5-2 Plate Tectonics Flashcard

Front

What drives plate tectonics?

Back

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle.

Front

What occurs at a divergent boundary?

Back

Plates pull apart.

Front

What geological features are created by divergent boundaries?

Back

The Great Rift Valley and the Mid-Ocean Ridge.

Front

Which oceanic plate is more dense when comparing two plates?

Back

The plate that is older and cooler, typically the one without volcanic activity.

Front

What happens at convergent boundaries?

Back

Plate material may be destroyed or recycled and returned to the mantle.

Front

What is the process of subduction?

Back

When one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle.

Front

What type of boundary is characterized by plates sliding past each other?

Back

Transform boundary.

Front

What is the significance of the Mid-Ocean Ridge?

Back

It is a divergent boundary where new oceanic crust is formed.

Front

What is the role of mantle convection in plate tectonics?

Back

It drives the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What geological activity is commonly associated with convergent boundaries?

Back

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.