Plate Tectonics Terms

Front

Crust

Back

The outermost layer of the Earth.

Front

Mantle

Back

The layer of the Earth between the crust and the core.

Front

Lithosphere

Back

The rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

Front

Asthenosphere

Back

The semi-fluid layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats.

Front

Outer Core

Back

The liquid layer of the Earth's core that lies beneath the mantle and surrounds the inner core.

Front

Inner Core

Back

The solid innermost layer of the Earth, composed primarily of iron and nickel.

Front

Convection

Back

The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid.

Front

Convection Current

Back

A current in a fluid that results from convection.

Front

Continental Drift

Back

The gradual movement of the continents across the earth's surface through geological time.

Front

Pangaea

Back

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.