Geological Concepts

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Pangea

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A supercontinent

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Alfred Wegner

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A German polar researcher, geophysicist, and meteorologist who is best known for his theory of continental drift.

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Continental Drift

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The hypothesis that the continents have moved across the Earth's surface to their current locations, proposed by Alfred Wegner.

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Plate Tectonic Theory

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A scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates.

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Sea Floor Spreading

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

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Mid Ocean Ridge

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An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics, where sea floor spreading occurs.

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Convergent Boundary

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A tectonic boundary where two plates are moving toward each other, often causing one plate to slide beneath the other.

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Transform Boundary

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A type of fault whose relative motion is predominantly horizontal, in either a sinistral or dextral direction.

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Divergent Boundary

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A tectonic boundary where two plates are moving away from each other and new crust is forming from magma that rises to the Earth's surface between the two plates.

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Ocean Basins

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Large geologic basins that are below sea level and are filled with ocean water.