Plate Tectonics

Front

What is an earthquake?

Back

An earthquake is when tectonic plates slide against each other causing the earth to move.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The lithosphere is the rocky or rigid outer part of Earth consisting of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle.

Front

What causes Earth's tectonic plates to move?

Back

Convection currents in the mantle cause Earth's tectonic plates to move.

Front

What does subduction mean?

Back

Subduction means one tectonic plate goes under another plate.

Front

What type of plate boundary is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates collide.

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

The asthenosphere is the semi-fluid layer of the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.

Front

What is the difference between oceanic and continental crust?

Back

Oceanic crust is thinner and denser than continental crust, which is thicker and less dense.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other.

Front

What is a fault?

Back

A fault is a fracture in the Earth's crust where blocks of land have moved past each other.