Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

The theory that explains the structure and movement of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

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

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A large, rigid piece of the Earth's lithosphere that moves and interacts with other plates.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

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

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates move away from each other, leading to the formation of new crust.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

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

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

The hypothesis that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together as a single landmass called Pangea.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of continental drift?

Back

Fossils of the same species found on different continents, similar rock formations across continents, and continents fitting together like puzzle pieces.

Front

What are convection currents?

Back

The movement of fluid caused by differences in temperature and density, which drives the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What causes earthquakes?

Back

The sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust due to the movement of tectonic plates along faults.