Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

A scientific theory explaining the movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

Front

What is Seafloor Spreading?

Back

The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and gradually moves away from the ridge.

Front

What is the significance of the age of seafloor samples in plate motion calculations?

Back

It helps determine how long the seafloor has been forming and its distance from the mid-ocean ridge.

Front

What is the East African Rift Valley?

Back

A location where continental rifting is currently occurring, leading to the formation of new ocean basins.

Front

What was Pangaea?

Back

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, proposed by Alfred Wegener.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

What is the rate of seafloor spreading in the Atlantic Ocean?

Back

Approximately 2 centimeters per year.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Plate Tectonics?

Back

Fossil distribution, geological similarities, and the fit of continental margins.

Front

What are convergent boundaries?

Back

Places where tectonic plates collide, often forming mountains or causing subduction.

Front

What are divergent boundaries?

Back

Locations where tectonic plates move apart, leading to the formation of new crust.