Chapter 4: Investigating Plate Tectonics 24

Front

What is a rift valley?

Back

A rift valley is a lowland region that forms where tectonic plates move away from each other, causing the Earth's crust to fracture and sink.

Front

What tectonic activity forms rift valleys?

Back

Rift valleys form where two plates move away from each other.

Front

What happens to magma at divergent boundaries?

Back

Magma rises to become new oceanic crust (new seafloor) where two plates separate and move apart from one another.

Front

What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

Back

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a divergent boundary between the Eurasian and North American plates, where new oceanic crust is formed.

Front

Where do convection currents flow in the Earth?

Back

Convection currents flow in the asthenosphere, which is the semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is a type of plate boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally.

Front

What geological feature is formed at a transform boundary?

Back

A fault is formed at an active transform boundary.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

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

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

The asthenosphere is the semi-fluid layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere, where convection currents occur.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates collide, often forming mountains or causing one plate to subduct beneath another.