Plate Tectonics

Front

What are divergent plate boundaries?

Back

Divergent plate boundaries are regions where two tectonic plates move apart from each other, leading to the formation of new crust as magma rises to the surface. Common features include rift zones and mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What geological features are associated with divergent plate boundaries?

Back

Rift zones and mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is a tectonic plate boundary where two plates move towards each other, often resulting in one plate being forced below the other.

Front

What geological features are associated with convergent plate boundaries?

Back

Volcanoes, mountains, and earthquakes.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is a type of tectonic plate boundary where two plates slide past one another horizontally, causing earthquakes.

Front

What drives the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates?

Back

Convection currents in the mantle.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process by which one tectonic plate sinks beneath another plate and into the mantle, often forming deep ocean trenches.

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

Seafloor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates pull apart.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries, causing geological activity.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The lithosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the upper mantle, which is rigid and brittle.