APES 4.1 - Plate Tectonics

Front

What is a transform fault boundary?

Back

A transform fault boundary is a type of plate boundary where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, often causing earthquakes.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with one another, leading to geological activity.

Front

What is the convection cycle in the Earth's mantle?

Back

The convection cycle in the Earth's mantle is the process where hot material rises, cools, and then sinks back down, driving plate tectonics.

Front

What is the core of the Earth?

Back

The core is the innermost layer of the Earth, composed mainly of solid nickel and iron, and is responsible for Earth's magnetic field.

Front

What landform is created when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate?

Back

When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, it typically creates mountains due to the subduction of the oceanic plate.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process where one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle, often leading to volcanic activity.

Front

What are mid-oceanic ridges?

Back

Mid-oceanic ridges are underwater mountain ranges formed by the upwelling of magma at divergent plate boundaries.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

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

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

The asthenosphere is the semi-fluid layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere, allowing tectonic plates to move.

Front

What causes earthquakes?

Back

Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust due to the movement of tectonic plates.