Tectonic plates

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

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

Front

What are divergent Plate Boundaries?

Back

Where two plates divide.

Front

What are convergent Plate Boundaries?

Back

Where two plates collide.

Front

What are transform Plate Boundaries?

Back

Where two plates slide past each other.

Front

How do tectonic plates move?

Back

Through convection currents in the mantle.

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

Process by which new oceanic crust forms when magma rises up and solidifies at the mid-ocean ridge.

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

A huge supercontinent that existed millions of years ago.

Front

What is a fault?

Back

A fracture in the Earth's crust where blocks of rock have moved past each other.

Front

What is an earthquake?

Back

A sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that causes seismic waves.