Chapter 4 Vocabulary - Earth's Dynamic Surface

Front

Where two plates slide past each other.

Back

Transform boundary.

Front

Partially melted portion of the mantle below the lithosphere.

Back

Asthenosphere.

Front

Theory that states that Earth's surface is broken into large, rigid pieces that move with respect to each other.

Back

Plate tectonics.

Front

Process that occurs when one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate.

Back

Subduction.

Front

Circulation within fluids caused by differences in density and thermal energy.

Back

Convection.

Front

The outermost layer of the Earth, composed of solid rock.

Back

Lithosphere.

Front

The boundary where two tectonic plates move away from each other.

Back

Divergent boundary.

Front

The layer of the Earth located between the crust and the core, consisting of the mantle and the outer core.

Back

Mantle.

Front

The movement of tectonic plates caused by convection currents in the mantle.

Back

Plate movement.

Front

The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges.

Back

Seafloor spreading.