Plate Tectonics and Boundaries

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

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

Front

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

Back

A scientific theory explaining the movement of the Earth's plates and how they interact at their boundaries.

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic boundary where two plates move away from each other, allowing magma to rise and create new crust.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic boundary where two plates move towards each other, often causing one plate to be forced beneath the other.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A tectonic boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally, often causing earthquakes.

Front

What is the mid-ocean ridge?

Back

An underwater mountain range formed by divergent tectonic plates, where new oceanic crust is created.

Front

What are magnetic stripes?

Back

Patterns of magnetism in rocks that show the history of Earth's magnetic field reversals.

Front

How do tectonic plates affect earthquakes?

Back

Earthquakes occur when stress builds up at plate boundaries and is released suddenly.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

The process where one tectonic plate is forced under another, often leading to volcanic activity.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

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